Glacier by Sanlam Storms River Traverse 2012 a huge success for all
Participants at registration
Vanessa Haywood
Activities for the little ones
Scenery along the way
Participants enjoying the race
A participant takes on the mud
Financial intermediary Mike Harcourt and his wife Cheryl
For the first time this year, Glacier by Sanlam partnered with Dryland Event Management to host the Glacier by Sanlam Storms River Traverse 2012. The scenic three-day stage race, which took place from 10 – 12 August in the Tsitsikamma area, is one of the
This year’s participants enjoyed three days of perfect weather conditions while their families took advantage of the various activities on offer. Prizes were awarded in the categories of solo mens, solo ladies, and mixed teams.
“We are very pleased to be associated with the Glacier by Sanlam Storms River Traverse,” says Anton Raath, CEO of Glacier by Sanlam. Not only is mountain biking growing in popularity, but this particular event also has facilities for families and children too, which is an important aspect for us. Although wealth creation and preservation is where our focus lies and we concentrate on the upper end of the market, we also want to play a role in the broader community and make a difference where we can. We also believe strongly that our environment is not something to be taken for granted and every little effort helps,” explains Raath, “which is why we were involved in cleaning-up sections of the Storms River Village in conjunction with local schools, prior to the race.”
The annual race starts and finishes at the quaint Tsitsikamma Village Inn hotel, which was established in 1946 and is perched on the edge of the indigenous forests. The Inn is steeped in a rich history and offers the traditional village hospitality of the Tsitsikamma area. The owners who took over the Village Inn in 2010 realised that the community and surrounding areas were in desperate need of an annual event that would bring people to the town and create opportunities for the locals and their families.
In addition to last year’s spin off for the community, this year had a few extra benefits as all the accommodation in the town was used and the owners of the Tsitsikamma Village Inn outsourced the children’s care programme to the Montessori School and crew meals to the local Coffee Pot, all of which help bring business to the local community.
The team at the Inn also arranged some paint for the school in Coldstream to enable the school to begin with a long overdue upgrade.
The Tsitsikamma Village Inn and Dryland Event Management recently established a community trust which funded a hospitality-training programme for 10 unemployed local youngsters. This accredited course was based at the hotel over the course of a month, providing valuable tools to those chosen to enroll and giving them the assistance they need to find sustainable work.
Everyone in the local community between the ages of 18 and 35 years old with a matric, but employed, was given the opportunity to submit their applications. Each applicant was interviewed and selected according to certain criteria. The programme provided students with training and lessons in workplace etiquette, customer service, serving a dining room and room service, as well as how to manage basic and personal finances.
All 10 candidates have successfully completed the course and were awarded their certificates at the prize-giving during the week-end of the race.
The tourism community in the area now has the benefit of trained individuals who can take part in any of the different tourism activities. The students are well informed about all the different tourism options in the area and are good ambassadors for the Village.
The race drew participation from across the Sanlam group with a number of staff members showing their true mettle.
Well-known personality and avid mountain biker Vanessa Haywood was excited to take part in the race. “The race was both fun and challenging, but I also enjoyed the social and community aspect that is synonymous with this race. The Tsitsikamma area makes for some interesting routes and beautiful scenery along the way.”
