Western Cape insurance industry raises record amount for charity

The Insurance Institute of the Cape of Good Hope (IICoGH) held its annual Charity Auction on 29 July 2010 at the upmarket Old Mutual house in Bishopscourt, raising a record amount of money, as the Western Cape insurance industry came out in force to support its local charities.

With celebrity Aden Thomas as the auctioneer, a record R140 000 was raised to be distributed to a number of local charities, with the primary beneficiary being the Aquarius School Feeding Scheme.

According to Charl Swarts at the IICoGH, the annual charity auction is a great way for the local insurance industry to give back and provide much needed support to local communities. “The annual charity auction has now been running for 19 years and continues to grow in size and success each year. Our 2010 auction was the biggest yet and we would like to thank all those who attended and donated money, which is going to a very worthwhile cause.”

Many leaders of the local insurance industry were in attendance and put their hands in their pockets to support the chosen charities. Coert Knoetze, MD of Cape based brokerage Staysure spent the highest amount on the night, splashing out a total of R30 850 and also claiming first spot for the highest bid for any individual lot.

Ian Thurman, MD of Jewellery Replacement Consultants, also made a special pledge at the conclusion of the evening, donating a sizeable sum per month for the next year, in addition to donating two beautiful Tanzanite and Diamond pieces of jewellery that were auctioned.

According to Clive Kolbe, founder of the Aquarius School Feeding Scheme, the money raised is essential to continue building on the scheme’s current success. “This money will benefit thousands of children across the peninsula. A hungry child can’t be expected to learn effectively, so this scheme meets two basic needs – addressing hunger and enhancing the education of the children who are the future of our society.”