JOHN HARVEY
One could easily have been forgiven for thinking the Minions had invaded Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School last week.
However, the sea of yellow was not a homage to those popular little acolytes, but the school’s contribution to this year’s That Was Different (TWD) initiative, a campaign that raises funds for charity by doing something different, falling under the auspices of the Cape Town NPO, Common Good.
With the school deciding that it would celebrate the occasion by dressing up in yellow, teachers and pupils alike had a ball showing off their creative flair.
Wigs, face painting and even an outlandish dress arrangement featured in the festivities which extended from Friday March 4 through to Saturday March 5.
Kfm was also on hand to entertain the children with a round of its popular general knowledge quiz for teens broadcast live on air, with Grade 7 pupils Alex White and Thomas Raynham netting a R500 prize for their efforts.
In the spirit of the campaign, the youngsters donated R100 of their win to education, employment and early childhood development in Cape Town.
Last year, TWD raised more than R620 000 thanks to the involvement of some 2 000 people, and organisers have set themselves a target of R750 000 this year.
Rondebosch Prep mother Kim Cloete, who organised the school’s contribution to the campaign, said it was growing exponentially.
“We did it for the first time last year, focusing on our cricket match with Bishops. This year we have extended it to the entire school. We are challenging more schools to get involved. We have been really fortunate to have people like Michael Mol and Suzelle DIY supporting the campaign,” she said.
Chris Verster, a head of department at the school, said the traditional cricket fixture against Bishops was again used to raise funds for TWD.
“Everyone really get involved in the wig challenge at the cricket. You’ll see parents wearing wigs when their kids are batting, fun things like that, and it’s all for a good cause,” Mr Verster said.
Ms Cloete said initiatives such as these were wonderful for the children, as while they played hard on the field, the campaign taught them they could have fun together.
“It’s an awesome event. I really enjoyed it,” said 11-year-old Grade 6 pupil, Peter Stergianos.
The campaign runs until Saturday March 12.
Visit https://thatwasdifferent.net or https://commongood.org.za to find out how to donate funds.
