One of radio's most prominent voices, Ryan O'Connor, host of KFM's Breakfast Show, was in town on Tuesday to "reveal" the school's new courtyard live on air.
St Paul's had been in desperate need of renovations to their schoolyard and through KFM and the breakfast team, they managed to get a local builder who promised, live on air, to pave the courtyard. However, he mysteriously disappeared, leaving KFM and the school bitterly disappointed.
KFM then approached the Dischem Foundation who agreed to sponsor all the material for the paving at a cost of nearly R85 000.
Womb to Tomb, a local NGO made up of various church groups did the labour for free. Leigh Brinkhuis, school administrator at St Pauls, said the labour costs would have pushed the total cost of the project to over R200 000. "But thanks to another random act of kindness, Womb to Tomb did it free of charge."
Gavin Mumford, manager of Dischem George, told the George Herald the decision to get involved was not even an issue. "We have to give back to the community which supports us. And, as kids are our most important assets, the decision to help St Paul's was an easy and logical one. They are our future.
"For the Dischem Foundation, this is something small but for the kids and the school it is something big! To see so many smiling faces around makes it worthwhile.
"And of course, the spin-off from this investment," said Mumford, "...is no more mud baths in winter but instead a neat and tidy courtyard all year round."
Speaking during a break in his show, O'Connor said there will be "more of this." Judging by the popularity and success of KFM's Random Act of Kindness campaign, George will be seeing - and hearing - a lot more from these compassionate Samaritans. And the Dischems of the world.
Leigh Brinkhuis, school administrator at St Paul's, and Gavin Mumford, manager of Dischem George, inspect the brand-new paving at the school's courtyard. The radio station KFM approached the Dischem Foundation for the funding of this project, after promises made by a local businessman earlier this year, live on air, came to nothing. Local NGO Womb to Tomb did the labour for free.
PHOTOS: HUGO REDELINGHUYS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
