‘Queen and king crowned at Allandale Primary School’s Debs Ball
Armani Larkin, a Grade 2 pupil at Allandale Primary School, was crowned Queen at the school's well-organised and successful Debutantes' Ball which was held on Saturday at the Truro Hall.
The event was described as one of the finest moments in the school's 37-year history and raked in a staggering amount of R520 000. This was due to the collaborative efforts of all the participants and their respective families.
Armani raised the massive amount of
R50 000, a no mean achievement for a child her age. Her excited mum, Nasreen Khan, thanked her sponsors and well-wishers who contributed so generously to support the youth, given these tough economic times.
"It is truly an honour to be able to give the school a boost in the right direction. We trust that the school will utilise the funds that have been raised to empower our youth, who are our future leaders," Khan said.
Zidane Naidoo, also in Grade 2, was bestowed the honour of Debs King, due to his efforts in raising the impressive sum of
R40 000. His mother, Nadia Naidoo, was ecstatic at his crowning.
"We are happy and proud that our son is part of an excellent educational institution. When we decided to enter Zidane in the 2023 Debutantes Ball, we wanted to do as much as we possibly could for the school and for our son to be part of a winning team," said Naidoo.
Naidoo expressed her appreciation to her colleagues at her workplace, together with their families, friends and local business houses.
The 1st Princess title went to Mileah Govender while Ruhie Chetty was crowned 2nd Princess. Ubaid Osman and Vineel Durgaparsad were the recipients of the 1st and 2nd Princes titles respectively.
The convenor of the Debs Ball, Vimal Ramkilowan, said that the event was part of the process to forge and shape children for life and lifelong learning. He emphasized that the queen and king were good ambassadors for the school.
The acting principal, Sashen Dorasamy, said that the monies collected will form part of the school's fundraising drive to complete its quest for smart classes. The school also has plans to build two additional classrooms and a conference centre. However, priority will be given to building a state-of-the-art indoor functional centre.
"The youth in the northern areas do not have an indoor sports facility. We envisage that the planned functional centre will cater for the needs of children from the wider communities,"
Dorasamy said.
The chairperson of the school governing body (SGB),
Trevor Saul commended the school and organising committee for hosting such a prestigious function.
"It is commendable that the team sought to undertake this event on such a scale, with some being involved in an event of this nature for the first time. I am sure it will hold them in good stead going forward.
"While there was healthy competition, the central outcome has been achieved. This outcome, to access resources for plans that will continue to ensure that Allandale Primary remains an institution of learning of the highest order and that this level will be consistently raised," Saul said.