Hotel hosted meals for firefighters
THIS letter is in response to “Other heroes to be honoured” (July 11), regarding the lunch hosted for metro firefighters recently, following the devastating runaway fires that destroyed homes in the Van Stadens Gorge and Rocklands area.
On the fateful night of June 11, Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding areas woke up to a devastating wild fire that destroyed everything in its path and left a trail of destruction.
People lost homes as the raging fire engulfed the area, making it impossible for residents to control it on their own.
More devastating was the death of an elderly couple on June 12, allegedly due to fire-related causes after their farm was destroyed by the fire.
Another big casualty was Woodridge College, which was not spared from this devastation.
Eight school buildings were razed to the ground.
In the midst of all this commotion, people from all walks of life joined in the frenzy as scores of affected communities scurried around trying to save their properties.
Metro firefighters went flat out, with some forced to work a straight 24-hour shift to prevent lives from being lost and to control the raging fire.
Their dedication during this unfortunate event touched many people’s hearts and, thus, some thanked them in one form or the other.
Moved by what he had witnessed as the firefighters braved huge flames to bring the fire under control, and save lives and properties, the owner of the iconic Grand Hotel in Central opened up his establishment and hosted a dinner for metro firefighting members who were not working a late shift on the day.
Those who were not able to attend had similar treatment when the hotel rolled out a red carpet and treated them to a three-course lunch.
Consequently, the Grand Hotel management informed the mayor’s office of its intentions and extended an invitation for the mayor to be part of the event to thank everyone in person.
This was a personal decision and an act of humility on the part of the hotel.
It was purely intended to show appreciation for the team for their sterling work.
It was not in any way designed to discredit other committed and hardworking municipal employees who provide an excellent service to the citizenry of this metro.
In fact, not a cent came from the municipal coffers for both events.
Everything was paid for by the Grand Hotel.