As the 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 initiative continues to gather meaningful momentum, we are deeply grateful to acknowledge the support of Mr Grant (“Beaver”) Hobson and Mrs Daleen Hobson of Ken’s Radio.
A well-known and trusted name in Graaff-Reinet, 𝗞𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 as skilled electricians, certified gas installers, solar installations, agent for various submersible and centrifugal pumps, offering appliance repairs, parts and operating as a DStv agency from their premises at 71 Church Street.
Founded in 1952 by Mr Kenny van Heerden, the business has become something of a local institution, later entrusted to Beaver, who took ownership in 1992 and has continued to build on its strong foundation with the same commitment to service and community.
𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱-𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭.
Beaver, an Old Unionite from the Class of 1983, gave richly to school life during his time at Union High School, Graaff-Reinet – serving as Deputy Head and representing the school at 1st team level across multiple sporting codes, with rugby always closest to his heart.
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Beaver’s grandfather, Ted Slater, holds a remarkable place in Union’s history as the first registered scholar and its very first rugby captain. His mother, Sheila Hobson (née Slater), continued this legacy, spending her entire schooling career at Union and matriculating in 1951.
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 saw him serve on the Old Unionite Association committee, including a term as chairman. This proud Union legacy continues through their children, with Kayla (Class of 2016), who served as Deputy Head Girl, and Ryan (Class of 2019), both having walked the same corridors.
At the heart of our school community are families like the Hobsons – whose enduring love for Union, and whose quiet, steadfast support over many years, continue to shape and strengthen all that we do.
Through Goals for Good, the Hobsons have chosen to support the 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗮𝗳𝗳-𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, an organisation close to their hearts.
As Daleen so sincerely shares: “𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵-𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘧𝘧-𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 – 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺.”
It is partnerships like these that give true meaning to this initiative – where community, compassion and connection come together in support of something greater. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.
