S A L T U S M A G A Z I N E
3 7
ALUMNI
Orphans in Cape Town, South
Africa are sporting Saltus gym
kits, khaki shorts, skorts, and
red Cavendish fleeces, thanks to
the efforts of a group of alumni
and parents.
Carol Dixon
, mother
of S6
Scott Gilbertson
, spent two
years collecting redundant
Saltus uniforms to give to South
African children after the School
logo change. She and husband
Alan Gilbertson
have travelled
frequently to the country over
the past decade after developing
a South Africa foodbanking
network to combat extreme food
shortages; today the charity
donates more than 12-million
meals a year to help feed over
200,000 people in eight cities.
Since the uniform collection
began in 2011, the couple alter-
nated carrying parcels of Saltus
clothing with them when they
visited to save shipping costs.
When Alan and three friends--
Bermuda Commercial Bank's
Horst Finkbeiner
(1980),
Neil de
ste Croix
and
Greg Reid
--dec -
ided to travel to Cape Town this
spring to compete in an historic
cycling event, they chose Food-
Bank South Africa as beneficiary
for sponsorship funds they
raised--and took the remaining
haul of School uniforms to give
to needy kids.
Alan, Greg, Horst, father of S5
Sebastian
, and Neil, father of
S7s
Cameron
and
Max
, all took
part successfully in the challenging
Cape Argus Pick 'n' Pay Cycle
Tour--the world's largest individ-
ually timed cycle event with
31,000 participants pedalling 109
kilometres around the Cape
Peninsula. The four raised thou-
sands of dollars for FoodBank.
Even more rewarding, they say,
were their post-race visits to
FoodBank beneficiary orphan-
ages where they delivered the
Saltus clothing. "It was amazing
to see how happy and proud the
children were to receive new
clothing," says Neil.
UNIFORMS FIND A WORTHY NEW HOME
FoodBank founder and Saltus parent
Alan Gilbertson
(second right), with (back row from left)
Greg Reid
,
alum
Horst Finkbeiner
and
Neil de ste Croix
at Bathandwa orphanage in Cape Town; Alan (below) with
children who also received Saltus uniforms at Heinz Park Primary School in the township of Philippi