TAKING TO THE STREETS TODAY

As far as fund-raising fun runs/walks in Makhanda go, the Rapportryers/PJ Olivier 5km fun runs, held each October, have become a household name.

The 2023 edition takes to Sunnyside streets at 5.30pm this evening (Thursday, October 26) from the ‘school on the hill’. Registration is from 4pm and entry is R20 for adults and R15 for children.

The streets of the suburb will be filled with singing, cheering and dancing participants residents, students and school pupils as they make their way along the route.

The Rapportryers/PJ fun run has also become known for the huge amounts of money it has generated and donated to local charitable causes over the years.

Since the first fun run/walk in 1996, well over R200,000 has been donated locally. The recipients have included homes for the aged, children’s homes and safe houses, community projects, animal welfare causes and local schools.

This year’s beneficiary is the Grahamstown & District War Memorial Association, which administers Settlers Close and Oakhaven Cottages for the Aged. Some of the residents have agreed to walk the route and join in on the fun.

No Rapportryers/PJ fun run would be complete without its prize money for the leading finishers, plus scores of spot prizes and juice handed to finishers.

Rapportryers members have been out and about in town visiting businesses and collecting spot prizes that include several vouchers. Event co-ordinator Joubert Retief said the biggest spot prize is a botox session worth more than R2,000.

Prize money is equal in both the men’s and ladies’ divisions R600 each to the winners, R350 to the runners-up and R200 to the third-placed finishers.

Dogs are welcome, provided they are accompanied by walkers and are on leashes, plus they should be humanfriendly and ‘other-dog friendly’.

The route will see participants leave the school grounds and run or walk down Market Street (mind the speed hump!) and then cover the following streets Hillsview Road, down the ramp into Rivers Street, Cromwell, Webber, Shepperson, Lawrance, Cathcart, Mount, Hope, Hillsview, Market and finally Somerset which leads to the finish.

Picture: SID PENNEY SHINING SILVERWARE: PJ Olivier High School Grade 12 pupil Carissa Henning was a frequent visitor to the stage during the school’s annual prizegiving ceremony in the Neels Heunis Hall last Thursday. On each occasion she stepped onto the stage she did so amid a huge ovation. Here, Henning holds the prestigious GBS Mutual Bank Trophy for the dux scholar of the year, and alongside her are the trophies she was awarded in the academic and art fields. Henning was also awarded academic honours, as well as the Rapportryers Bursary for tertiary study, and she will be enrolling at Rhodes University next year.