Todayโs Lunch Hour Music Concert filled Union High School hall with melody, energy and a wonderful sense of occasion as we had the privilege of welcoming Hoรซrskool Pearson High School‘s choir, vocalists and instrumentalists to our stage.
Hoรซrskool Pearson High School’s choir
From the opening choral items, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ญ๐บand the vibrant traditional Tsonga piece ๐๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช the concert set the tone for an afternoon of variety, talent and joy, with each performance adding its own colour to the programme.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ณ๐๐น ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ, from marimba favourites such as ๐๐ข๐ต๐ข ๐๐ข๐ต๐ข, ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ and ๐๐ช๐ท๐ข ๐๐ข ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ข to vocal highlights including ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ณ from Wicked, ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ and ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด.
๐๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ฒ๐๐, with beautiful contributions on saxophone, piano, flute and recorder ensemble.
It was especially lovely to see Union learners also sharing in the occasion, with our own senior choir rounding off the concert with ๐๐ญ๐ช๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ and ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต – a fitting ending to a lunchtime filled with harmony and heart.
In a small town, a business does not earn 75 years of support by chance. It earns it through trust, service and a willingness to show up for the community, year after year.
Union High School is proud to continue our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ series by recognising the generous support of ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช๐๐ธ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป, a respected local accounting firm whose offices are situated at 38 Somerset Street, Graaff-Reinet, and which has served the community with professionalism and integrity for an extraordinary 75 years.
๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น ๐ญ๐ต๐ฑ๐ญ, Van Wyk Theron has long been a trusted name in Graaff-Reinet, offering a comprehensive range of services spanning accounting, tax and business administration, payroll and financial systems support, estate planning and broader financial and management consultancy. ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ๐บ๐ด ๐ข ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ง 18 ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ, ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ค๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ฃ๐ณ๐ช๐ค ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ข๐ง๐ง-๐๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต.
This partnership is made even more special by the firmโs strong Union connection. Managing partner ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ, who took over from ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช๐๐ธ in March this year, matriculated from Union in 1994, making him a proud Old Unionite. His familyโs ties to the Union Schools run even deeper – his wife is a Grade 2 teacher at Union Preparatory School, while their four-year-old son, Nathan, has recently begun his own journey at Union Pre-School. There is always something especially meaningful about former pupils choosing to give back to the school and town that helped shape them.
Pictured here are Brendon Burger and Don van Wyk with Union hockey girls ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ and ๐จ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ถ, who stopped by this week to thank them for their contribution to the project.
Through their ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ pledge, Van Wyk Theron will be supporting ACVV Huis van de Graaff, an old age home in Graaff-Reinet, extending the impact of this initiative beyond the hockey field and into the heart of the wider community.
On behalf of Union High School and our 1st team hockey girls, we extend our ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ to Brendon Burger and the entire Van Wyk Theron team for their generosity, their long-standing service to Graaff-Reinet, and their support of a campaign that continues to connect sport with community in such a meaningful way.
How special it is that a former Union 1st team hockey captain is now giving back to the very girls who are walking a path she once knew so well!
Union High School, Graaff-Reinet is delighted to celebrate the support of Old Unionites ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป and ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ๐, who have chosen to support our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ initiative in their personal capacity – not only as proud past pupils, but also as parents who remain closely connected to the life of the school.
For Bronwen, this contribution carries a particularly lovely sense of coming full circle. ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ต, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป and now finds herself supporting a new generation of players as they make memories of their own in green and gold. Her husband, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป, ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ด, shares that same deep-rooted Union connection. ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐, having played 1st team rugby from Grade 11 and captaining the school’s 1st cricket team in his matric year, making this a gesture grounded in both loyalty and legacy.
Today, that Union story continues through their children. Their son, ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐๐บ, is running out for Unionโs 1st XV this year as a Grade 11 learner, while their daughter, ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ, is proudly playing for the schoolโs U13A hockey side. And who knows – perhaps one day Taylor will follow in her motherโs footsteps and wear the colours of Unionโs 1st team hockey girls herself.
Through this ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ initiative, Bronwen and Jason will be supporting GRAWS , extending the impact of their generosity beyond the sports field and into the wider community.
We are deeply grateful to Bronwen and Jason for their generous support of ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ and for the way in which their family continues to live out the Union spirit – across the sports field, across the years and across generations
By Friday afternoon, Graaff-Reinet will once again begin to hum with the unmistakable energy of festival weekend as buses roll in, boarding houses fill up and sports bags, sticks and rugby boots appear across the Union campus.
From ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet will host the ๐ฏ๐ณ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป of its beloved annual rugby and hockey festival, welcoming around 650 learners and more than 100 accompanying staff members from across South Africa for a weekend that has long become one of the highlights of the schoolโs sporting calendar.
This yearโs event carries added significance, as the festival enters a new chapter under a new name. From 2026 onward, it will officially be known as the ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ & ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ – a fitting tribute to one of Unionโs most treasured stalwarts and to the man who helped set this special tradition in motion.
The roots of the festival stretch back to ๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ณ, when ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป, alongside colleague Gail McArthur, hosted Unionโs first sporting festival on campus. What began as a modest initiative has, over nearly four decades, grown into a much-anticipated three-day celebration of school sport, spirited competition and the kind of camaraderie that so often becomes the lasting memory of weekends like these. With the exception of the Covid-interrupted years of 2020 and 2021, the festival has remained a faithful fixture on the Union calendar.
For Union, that continuity matters. So too does the spirit in which the festival is hosted.
Unionโs ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ, said there is a lot of excitement around the school as players prepare to welcome visiting teams from all over the country.
While the matches themselves will no doubt be keenly contested, Beck emphasised that the heart of the weekend lies in something broader than results alone.
That, perhaps, is what has always given the festival its enduring appeal. Yes, there will be hard tackles, quick passing movements, determined defence and moments of individual brilliance. But there will also be reunion, laughter, team songs, sideline chats, shared meals and the simple joy of young people gathering through sport in a town that knows how to welcome guests well.
The school has also acknowledged the invaluable support of the festivalโs anchor sponsors, Astron Energy Eastern Cape, together with local fuel sponsors Astron Energy Graaff-Reinet, represented by ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ฎ, and Astron Energy Bothas Market Square, represented by ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป and ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐บ๐ถ๐. They are photographed with hockey captain Leigh-Ann Murray, vice-captain Misha Newton, rugby captain Liso Booi and vice-captain Yaaseen Kazi.
Over the coming days, Unionโs fields and Astro will once again play host to all the colour, noise and emotion that make school festivals so special. For players, it will be a chance to test themselves, represent their schools and make memories. For spectators, it will be an opportunity to enjoy high-quality school sport in a festive and welcoming atmosphere. And for Union, it will be another proud moment in the life of a tradition that continues to grow while remaining true to its roots.
Tickets forย Union High School, Graaff-Reinetโs 2026 stage production, ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ, featuring the music of ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด, go on sale today, Monday, 23 March. Tickets are R60 for adults and R40 for scholars, and are available from Ms Moos at the Union High School front office.
This year, Union High School’s senior department is excited to present ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ, a musical inspired by the timeless music of The Beatles.
There is something deeply comforting about a place built on family – not only family in name, but in values and in the way people are cared for.
That is exactly what one senses at Build it Graaff-Reinet: a business that may deal in bricks and mortar, but whose true foundation has always been people.
Union High School is proud to continue our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ series by recognising the generous support of ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐, a much-loved local business that this year celebrates 20 years of serving the town from its home in Market Square.
Pictured here are Union hockey girls ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ and ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ with Build Itโs ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป-๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐.
Over the past two decades, Build It has become far more than a trusted name in home improvement and building supplies. Under the care of a family management team consisting of dad ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ป, son ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ and daughter ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ, the business has grown into something that feels wonderfully rooted in the life of Graaff-Reinet itself – a place where people are welcomed warmly, relationships are valued and community matters deeply.
Their words say it beautifully: โ๐๐ด ๐ข ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ.โ
And in truth, that spirit shines through in everything they do.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ – a sincere love for this town and its people that can be felt so clearly. Businesses like this help shape the soul of a community. They stand alongside local families through ordinary days and important milestones alike, and through their quiet consistency, generosity and care, they become part of what makes a town feel like home.
Through their pledge, Build It Graaff-Reinet will be contributing towards Camdeboo Hospice Graaff Reinet, a registered non-profit organisation that provides a holistic home-based palliative care service to those infected and affected by life-threatening diseases, with a particular focus on HIV & AIDS, cancer and motor neurone disease.
๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ถ๐. Camdeboo Hospice serves some of the most vulnerable members of the community with tenderness, dignity and compassion – offering comfort, care and support at moments when it is needed most.
On behalf of Union and our 1st team hockey girls, we extend our ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ to Build It Graaff-Reinet for their generosity, their deep love for Graaff-Reinet and their commitment to building not only structures, but a stronger, kinder community too
There is something wonderfully fitting about a business devoted to cleaning, repairing and restoring choosing to support causes that do the same for a community – ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ, ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต.
Union High School continues our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ series by recognising the generous support of Radium – Graaff Reinet.
Pictured here are Union hockey girls ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป and ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ป ๐ง๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฝ with Radium owner ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐น.
The connection to Union is a special one: Mr Neill is the father of last yearโs 1st hockey captain, Kenza Neill, while his wife, Tess, serves on Unionโs staff. All three of their children matriculated at Union, with two going on to serve as deputy heads – ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ ๐ช๐ด ๐ค๐ญ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ.
For many in Graaff-Reinet, Radium is a familiar and trusted name – a business known for the many practical ways in which it helps keep everyday life running smoothly. From dry cleaning, laundromat services and home and industrial laundry, to carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning and car valets, Radium has long offered the kind of reliable service that people quietly depend on. Their specialised mending work includes bags, shoes and boots, saddles and tack, sun blinds, tarpaulins and canvas, while their manufacturing services extend to retractable acrylic awnings, patioshades, shadeports, patio drop blinds, Venetian blinds and vertical blinds.
Through their ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ pledge, Radium Canvas & Cleaning has chosen to support both Clean Trade and GRAWS – two organisations doing valuable work in Graaff-Reinet. In doing so, they are helping to uplift both the environment and the welfare of vulnerable animals, reminding us that community care takes many forms and that kindness is often found in the practical, everyday decisions people make.
Radiumโs involvement is a lovely reminder that businesses are about far more than the services they offer. At their best, they become part of the fabric of a place – supporting families, strengthening institutions and helping good work go further.
On behalf of Union High School and our 1st team hockey girls, we extend our heartfelt thanks to ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐น and the team at ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ & ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด for their generosity, their loyal connection to Union and their support of causes that are helping to make Graaff-Reinet an even better place to call home.
In a town like Graaff-Reinet, some names become part of the story – woven into its growth, its people and its heart. Montego Pet Nutrition is one of those names.
From its beginnings in the early 2000s right here in Graaff-Reinet, Montego has grown into a proudly South African brand, built on family values, innovation and an unwavering commitment to quality – ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ-๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ.
We are, therefore, especially grateful to include them among the businesses supporting Union High School, Graaff-Reinet‘s 2026 ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ campaign.
๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ. Their contribution to the town – rooted in a steady, sincere commitment to making things better – is something quite special. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฝ and it is this quiet consistency that makes their support so meaningful.
Built on a foundation of entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for pet nutrition, Montego has never stopped striving to improve – refining their formulations, investing in their facilities and growing a brand that now reaches far beyond the Karoo. Yet despite this success, their heart has remained firmly in Graaff-Reinet. It is a beautiful reminder that growth and community can go hand in hand.
Pictured here are hockey girls ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ and ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ป ๐ช๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ with Montegoโs ๐๐น๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐, Brand Manager at Montego Pet Nutrition.
Through their ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ pledge, Montego will be supporting Graaff-Reinet Animal Welfare Society (GRAWS), a cause that feels perfectly aligned with who they are. ๐๐ด ๐ข ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ด, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ญ๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ค๐ถ๐ฆ, ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ท๐ถ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ด ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ด ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ท๐ข๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด.
On behalf of Union High School and our 1st team hockey girls, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ to Montego Pet Nutrition for their generosity, their incredible community spirit and for always standing behind Graaff-Reinet and the Union Schools
There is something rather special about a business whose story stretches back almost as far as the town itself. In the case of ๐ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐, that story begins on 1 August 1856 – a remarkable legacy that speaks not only to longevity, but to trust, stability and deep roots in the Graaff-Reinet community.
Union High School is proud to continue our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ series by recognising the generous support of Midboard Financial Services, a business whose history is woven into the fabric of this town and whose connection to Union is especially meaningful.
Pictured here are Union hockey girls ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต-๐๐ป๐ป ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ and ๐๐บ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ with Midboardโs ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ – a proud Old Unionite from the Class of 1981 whose ties to the school run deep.
Married to Lizet Crankshaw, who serves on Unionโs staff and father to Kara-Lynn (Class of 2012) and Jonathan (Class of 2016), Mr Crankshaw and his family have long been part of the Union story.
That is what makes Midboardโs support of this initiative so fitting. ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ is all about partnership – about local businesses choosing not only to back our 1st team hockey girls, but also to shine a light on causes that are doing important work in our wider community.
Through their pledge, Midboard Financial Services has chosen to support the ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, an organisation that offers comfort, practical assistance and compassion to local patients and families walking the difficult road of cancer treatment. It is a cause that touches many lives, often quietly and behind the scenes, and Midboardโs decision to stand behind it is a deeply meaningful reflection of the care and community-mindedness that have helped define the business over generations.
In a campaign that celebrates the powerful link between sport, service and community, this partnership is ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐. Midboardโs legacy may stretch back nearly 170 years, but its willingness to continue investing in people and place is what makes its contribution so significant today.
On behalf of Union High School and our 1st team hockey girls, we extend our ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ to Midboard Financial Services and Mr John Crankshaw for their generosity, their enduring connection to Union and their support of both our girls and the Graaff-Reinet Cancer Association.
There are some businesses in a town that become part of the rhythm of everyday life – the places people pop into for the essentials, the familiar faces behind the counters, the stores that quietly help keep homes running and communities connected. For around 30 years, SPAR has been one of those constants in Graaff-Reinet.
Union High School, Graaff-Reinet is deeply grateful to continue our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ series by recognising the support of ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ and ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ.
Today the stores are owned by ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ธ๐ธ๐ถ๐ฒ and ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ, whose leadership reflects a deep commitment not only to good business, but to the wellbeing of the community around them. Together, the two stores employ 115 people from Graaff-Reinet – ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ด; ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด, ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ.
Recently, Union hockey girls ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ป ๐ช๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ and ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป popped in to personally thank the SPAR team for coming on board in support of the girlsโ journey through Goals for Good.
What makes this partnership especially touching is the charity SPAR has chosen to support: the ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. For 53 years, this remarkable local association has been serving cancer patients and their families with compassion, dedication and quiet strength. Made up of volunteers, the organisation walks alongside patients on what can be an incredibly difficult journey, offering practical help such as meals and linen, while qualified counsellors provide emotional and psychological support when it is needed most.
They also assist with travel and accommodation for patients who need to leave town for treatment – easing some of the burden during an already overwhelming time. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ – ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐น, ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
That is what makes the Goals for Good campaign so special. It is about more than goals scored on a hockey field. It is about linking the energy and determination of young sportswomen with the generous hearts of local businesses and the important work of charities that care for the people of Graaff-Reinet.
On behalf of Union High School and our 1st team hockey girls, we extend our ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ to Frikkie and Martinette Coetzee, and to the teams at Spandau SuperSPAR and Camdeboo SPAR, for their generosity, their faith in our girls and their continued investment in the community we are so proud to call home
