SAVRALA Driving Ambitions candidate report

QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA)

Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson – Jackie is a double leg amputee and after 5 driving lessons with our instructor, Jackie passed her driving test on 22nd April 2015.
Rendani Nesengani Rendani Nesengani – Rendani is a right leg amputee, passed his driving test on 8th May 2015 after only 6 lessons and having never driven before.
Siphamandla Mtsolo Siphamandla Mtsolo – Siphamandla is a quadriplegic who has driven before and will start his lessons with DA in June.
Nokuthula Qwabe Nokuthula Qwabe – Nokuthula is a paraplegic who has never driven before, she has just started her lessons in KZN.
Raymond Jaca Raymond Jaca – Raymond uses crutches and has just started his lessons in KZN.
Lorna De Reuck Lorna De Reuck – Lorna is a paraplegic and will be starting lessons soon in KZN.

SAVRALA Golf Day supports Driving Ambitions

Driving Ambitions receives R73,000

Ari Seirlis (QASA CEO – left) receives a cheque of R73,000 from SAVRALA GM, Sandile Ntseoane (right)

Driving Ambitions, a project of the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA), are proud to be the beneficiary of the SAVRALA Golf Day who donated R73,000. This project is a driver training program for people with disabilities who need adaptation in vehicles to get their driving license and thereafter, new found freedom and mobility. This contribution will fund driving lessons for 14 Quadriplegics and Paraplegics.

The SAVRALA General Manager, Sandile Ntseoane thanked its industry members for their generosity on the day and was very pleased that both the car rental industry and its vehicle suppliers were able to give back to such a well aligned and deserving beneficiary as Driving Ambitions. Ntseoane encouraged members to ‘continue supporting Driving Ambitions beyond the annual golf day’. He continued that ‘the successful Driving Ambition candidates in time will become both valuable vehicle manufacturer and car rental customers.’

Annual Charity Golf Day 2015

The SAVRALA Annual Charity golf day enjoyed excellent weather at the Johannesburg Country Club on the 25th of February 2015 and unlike the previous year where rain soaked the players and the game had to be cut short, this year’s event almost broke all previous records. More than 80 golfers, playing in teams of four, competed in perfect conditions on a course in excellent condition. 80 golfers sat down to an excellent meal with Michael Scholz keeping order as master of ceremonies. The raffle and auction were very well supported and more than R72,000 was raised for the chosen charity.

The SAVRALA President, Marc Corcoran, thanked the members for their continued support of this worthy cause, he thanked the club for giving the event the courtesy of the course. Many of those participating had been involved with the event over many years and its continued success was due to their unwavering support. He thanked all the sponsors once again for their generous giving which resulted in a day of fun and fellowship. The chosen charity organisation that will benefit is The QuadPara Association of South Africa. QASA’s function is to serve quadriplegics, paraplegics and the disability sector in general, in whatever capacity its members find most constructive. The organisation aims to assist people with mobility impairments to lead independent lives with a decent standard of living, in areas ranging from personal care and assistive devices to adequate skills development and employment.

Ari Seirlis, the CEO of QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) gave a heartwarming speech on his organisation and thanked SAVRALA for choosing QASA. Marc Corcoran gave feedback on the Leasing Section and advised members of the imminent changes that will take place within SAVRALA. He spoke briefly about the continued collaboration with the automotive sector on legislative issues affecting the industry.

SAVRALA thanks all those involved and looks forward to continued participation and support.

The following companies took part in the SAVRALA Charity Golf Day:

  • Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd
  • General Motors South Africa
  • Volkswagen South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Bidvest Car Rental t/a Budget
  • Avis Rent A Car (Pty) Ltd
  • ABSA Vehicle Management Solutions
  • Datadot Technology SA (Pty) LTD
  • Mitsubishi Motors South Africa
  • Hyundai Automotive South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Nissan South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Liquid Capital (Pty) Ltd
  • Audi South Africa
  • FleetAfrica, A Division of Super Group Africa Pty Ltd
  • Infiniti SA (a division of Nissan SA)
  • Kia Motors South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Europcar and Tempest Car Hire
  • Top Notch Car Rental CC
  • Accordian / TATA

Hole Sponsors:

  • Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd
  • Volkswagen South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Bidvest Car Rental t/a Budget
  • Nissan South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Hyundai Automotive South Africa (Pty) Ltd
  • Mercedes-Benz South Africa
  • Infiniti SA (a division of Nissan SA)
  • Audi South Africa

Additional Sponsors:

  • Fleet Africa
  • Hertz Car Rental
  • Tempest Car Rental
  • Europcar
  • Avis

By Sandile Ntseoane

SAVRALA 2014 GOLF DAY! Food for the soul

SAVRALA raise R95000 for Meals on Wheels

SAVRALA President Marc Corcoran and General Manager Sandile Ntseoane hand over R95000 cheque to Enrico Robinson of Meals On Wheels.

Wednesday the 26th of February – Houghton Golf Course. Not really the greatest weather for golf but the day could not have turned out more gloriously, raising a hefty R95,000 for the Meals on Wheels NGO.

The golf course was abuzz with excitement, as members of SAVRALA (Southern African Vehicle Rental And Leasing Association) descended on it for their Annual Charity Golf event. Sadly, weather cut play short and only 13 holes could be completed, but this certainly did not dampen spirits or the fun that was had by all.

MC Graeme Joffe ensured his razor sharp wit and horseplay kept the field entertained and there certainly was no shortage of fun and laughter along the course, provided by the various sponsors who had pulled out all the stops to show support for this worthy cause.

Although the day is always great fun and the golfers truly battle it out for some great prizes and the glory to be the industries top four-ball, the real winner at the end of the day is always SAVRALA’s chosen charity – this year the charity of choice was Meals on Wheels. MOW really got stuck in on the day and showed their appreciation on the course, to the delight of the golfers.

The winning four-balls were:

1st: Keith Rankin, Paul Wilmans, Lance Smith and Slade Thomson from Avis

1st: Keith Rankin, Paul Wilmans, Lance Smith and Slade Thomson from Avis

 

2nd: Jeremy Anderson, Roy Brown, Frans Erasmus and Des Alberts playing in the General Motors Fourball

2nd: Jeremy Anderson, Roy Brown, Frans Erasmus and Des Alberts playing in the General Motors Fourball

3rd: Tony Jenkins, Frikkie Wentzel, Stanley Anderson and Grant Galloti playing in the Hyundai Fourball.

3rd: Tony Jenkins, Frikkie Wentzel, Stanley Anderson and Grant Galloti playing in the Hyundai Fourball.

As is tradition, the day ended with a prize-giving dinner followed by an auction to raise additional funds for SAVRALA’s chosen charity. But before this commenced, Gershan Naidoo of Meals on Wheels gave a brief overview on what Meals on Wheels do and how SAVRALA’s donation will positively impact them as an NGO. As the auction commenced Meals on Wheels had another surprise in store by providing items from their Charity Shop which included hand-made items which were auctioned off.

Meals on Wheels is a not-for-profit organisation that has been in operation for more than four decades and runs more than 280 service points. Over 13,4 million meals are served and delivered annually to the poor and needy. But, Meals on Wheels is much more than just about delivering meals to the elderly, MOW is a multi-faceted welfare service aimed at helping the elderly of our country to live out their sunset years in dignity and relative comfort. The service includes Old-Age Homes, Frail-Care Centres, Service Centres for Senior Citizens, and the well-known Meals on Wheels for the Aged meal delivery service.

MOW’s goal is to encourage every family and every business in South Africa to sponsor just a few meals a month for a struggling Senior Citizen.

The car manufacturer’s really showed heart and Toyota handed over a cheque of an amount of R10,000.00 on the night, followed by an additional R10,000.00 sponsored by Nissan later in the evening.

Nissan South Africa’s sponsored hole raised the most money of the day and they were generous enough to send their prize back into the auction and raise a further R3,000.00 . The hole that won the best display however went to Honda who went all out to show their colours.

“The support by both member and manufacturer’s was overwhelming and demonstrated once again that business in South Africa plays a valuable role in supporting CSI initiatives and the community at large through fund-raisers like this. SAVRALA’s whole-hearted thanks goes to all the members for their continued support for this type of charity drive by playing, manning holes or by being sponsors and reaching into their pockets and giving so graciously as well as sponsoring prizes, participating in the auction and raising money for Meals on Wheels”. Marc Corcoran, President of SAVRALA said.

The SAVRALA NEC extends a hearty thanks to all for their participation.

SAVRALA hands over R100 000 in support of local wildlife conservation

SAVRALA hands over R100 000 in support of local wildlife conservation

Following a highly successful Annual Golf Day, the South African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) raised R100 000 in support of its nominated charities, the SANParks Honorary Rangers and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Organisation.

“These volunteer organisations are dedicated to local wildlife conservation and need all of the support they can get to continue the vital work that they do. Both are involved in the fight against rhino poaching, something which has become a national crisis, and have done much to further awareness and education around conservation in South Africa,” says Paul Pauwen from SAVRALA.

The SANParks Honorary Rangers is the official SANParks volunteer organisation. They are an association of over 1000 dedicated volunteers across the country who help SANParks in a variety of areas and fulfil several vital tasks. These tasks include assisting at entry gates, raising funds for counter poaching activities, assisting in visitor management, and giving specialist advice on infrastructure and scientific projects. Officially associated in 1964, these volunteers have significantly contributed to all areas of conservation, public awareness and support of SANParks’ activities. They are also actively involved in the on-going war against rhino poaching, and contribute funds in support of SANParks activities such as counter poaching and nature conservation.

The Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Organisation is internationally recognised for its white rhino and sea turtle conservation and community conservation programmes. With more than 100 years of formal conservation, the organisation has won several awards for dedication to the protection of the biodiversity in the Kwa-Zulu Natal. The organisation also promotes education in conservation as well as eco-tourism. Preserving the unique eco-systems, plants and animals that form part of this region is essential in bringing visitors to the region, which in turn is vital for South Africa’s economic growth.

The cheque was handed over by Paul Pauwen from SAVRALA (centre), and was accepted on behalf of the beneficiaries by Dave Webster (left) and Felix Ernst (right).

“SAVRALA is a proud supporter of the South African tourist industry, and one of our country’s major draw cards is our wildlife. Both the SANParks Honorary Rangers and Ezemvelo work tirelessly to ensure that the natural beauty of South Africa will be preserved for future generations, helping to draw tourists to our country for years to come. We are pleased to be able to hand over the money we raised as a result of our golf day, thanks to the generosity of the players and hole sponsors on the day,” Paul from SAVRALA concludes.