Caption: WCBA Chairman Dean Finder presents the donation to Khula CEO Daleen Labuschagne
The Western Cape Bookmakers’ Association held their annual Christmas Fun Day on 5 December at well-known racehorse breeder Spencer Cook’s magnificent establishment, ‘The Rock’, at Rheebokskloof near Paarl.
This annual day is growing in stature year on year and forms the focal point of the WCBA Social Equity Initiative. The charitable gesture of a tangible investment in our vast underprivileged communities saw 42 children and their care-givers being treated to a day out in conjunction with the Khula Development Group.
The children, from Paarl East, participate in Khula’s out-of-school children program. From broken families and generally poverty –stricken backgrounds, they seldom get the opportunity to venture out of their environment and thus the day-trip was a memorable highlight in their tough existences. They were spoilt and treated to the relaxing farm atmosphere, and interacted with the horses in a day of never-ending fun and excitement.
They were also entertained by the local Pied Piper, WCBA Vice-Chairman Rudi Sattlegger who led a tour of the mares, foals and general facilities, regaling them with fact and fantasy. The tour was followed by a magician show and then it was straight onto the cooling relief of the slip ‘n slide. A sumptious braaivleis lunch followed by a visit from Mary Christmas, who dished out gifts for all and posed for happy photographs. All the children enjoyed refreshments and ice-creams and were given a party and grocery hamper to take home with them.
Also present as Guests of Honour were the Western Cape Gambling Board’s Acting CEO Primo Abrahams and Lungile Mbunge, the Chief Licensing Auditor-Racing & Betting Department, who participated and enjoyed the merriment.
As the sun cast long shadows over the majestic Paardeberg, WCBA Chairman Dean Finder addressed the group and thanked all those present for their personal interest and support. He made special mention of the children and thanked them for participating in a positive spirit and for making the entire event a huge success and worthwhile in all respects. Finder presented Daleen Labuschagne, CEO of the Khula Development Group, with a cheque of R12 000.
A visibly emotional Labuschagne was overwhelmed by the generous gesture and said that the funds would be used towards providing school clothes and other basic necessities for the children. She added that the funds would be used to motivate them to attend school regularly and to ensure that a basic item like having no shoes, would not stand in their way. She added that their work was only possible as a result of the generosity of benefactors like the WCBA.
Finder added that the WCBA was indebted to Spencer Cook for making his farm and horses available for the event.Cook recently acquired the scenic La Piere Estate, now known as The Rock, and he is hard at work converting the farm into a dynamic and efficient breeding, spelling and breaking-in facility. He has expansion plans, which includes a world-class training track Besides a sizeable broodmare band, he stands the great value-for-money stallion Bezrin.
The Western Cape Bookmakers’ Association boasts 27 bookmaker members covering a total of 52 outlets in the Western Cape. While membership of the Association is entirely voluntary, Chairman Dean Finder points out that they enjoy a 98% subsrcription rate and that the Association had plans to raise its’ public profile in 2012: ” As an umbrella body we want the public to know that they can bet with confidence at our member outlets. All our members are fully commited to our policy of always raising the bar in terms of professionalism, integrity and service levels in our competitive industry.”
Finder went on to say that 2011 had been ‘a busy, but very exciting year’ with the WCBA making representations to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on the findings of the Gambling Review Commission. “ We would like to see only the positives in this consultative process and believe that we are partnering with Government to improve the lot of all stakeholders. Our recent presentation to Parliament went very well and it is encouraging to know that we live in a free country where everybody can express his opinion and get an opportunity to explain his viewpoints.”
He closed the day by making a promise to the children that the 2012 Fun Day would be an even bigger event.
