February, according to the legend of St. Valentine, means that love is in the air. We have decided to put that love to good use and have focussed our attention on the power of love and good will that is manifested in the amazing work that the charities of Hermanus are doing. If you have something positively newsworthy or have any events that you would like to get out to the world please let us know.
Fairy Godmother of Charities
We at Anything Hermanus have decided that 2010 is the year to make a difference in someone else's life. There are so many ways to help others whether its by giving money, clothes, food or time, everyone should be able to find a way that they can help in some small way and helping others will make you feel great about yourself.
In order to find out more about the charities and organisations in Hermanus that rely on the generous help of others, we spoke to the Fairy Godmother of Charities –
Marianne Beyleveldt – the Mayor's wife or "Meraai" as she is affectionately known. According to Marianne, she is like a large bird watching over the charities and when a charity contacts her for help she goes out and finds the right person or company to help and puts them in contact with the charity. She acts as a conduit between the parties and has assisted numerous charities, schools and
organisations over the last few years.
Marianne is overwhelmed by how generous and caring the people of Hermanus are and she says that she often gets calls from the public saying that they have extra stock to give away e.g. food, plants, building equipment etc. and she then acts as a matchmaker to find which organization is in need of that particular product and once she's found the perfect match she puts them together.
read more about Fairy Godmother of Charities
The Feel Good Bit: Miracle Baby – Hope Miché
It is not often that you come across such an uplifting feel-good story. This is the unbelievable story of a baby girl born at 27 weeks old, weighing only 390g who had such a strong will to live that she fought against the odds and has not only survived but is a happy healthy little girl.
Robyn Samuels, a law enforcement officer and Ralmon Hansen, a traffic officer in Hermanus had no idea they were about to embark on an emotional roller coaster ride, when Robyn fell pregnant. When Robyn was 5 months pregnant she discovered that her baby wasn't growing because there was a problem with her blood getting to her baby and giving her the necessary nutrients to develop. Her
gynaecologist, Dr Brink at the Constantia Berg Medi Clinic booked her off work for complete bed rest and he monitored her on a weekly basis. But on the 2nd October 2009, at 27 weeks pregnant, Dr Brink felt that they had to get the baby out or she would not survive the weekend.
read more and help Baby Hope Miché
The Blue Bit: Benefits of Blue Flag Beaches
When a public beach is awarded the Blue Flag beach status, it means that the beach was awarded an eco-label by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) for adhering to strict environmental criteria to benefit the public, attract tourists and keep the beach’s natural habitat and assets healthy and beautiful for generations to come. So far only 3450 beaches and marinas in 41 countries in Europe, South Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, New Zealand, Morocco, Tunisia and Canada have this accreditation.
Grotto Beach in Hermanus has been awarded Blue Flag status for the third year running and is a favourite amongst tourists and locals alike. Tourists look for this status and prefer these beaches, as when it is applied, it guarantees a beach’s natural and environmental quality to enhance their holiday experience and value for money.
read more about the Benefits of Blue Flag Beaches
The Hermanus Minute
It isn't Spielberg. It is no Cousteau. It is definitely not Floyd. But if it's a quick taste of Hermanus you are after then the Hermanus Minute may well be worth a watch. The Hermanus Minute is a regular video slot of a quick snapshot of Hermanus. The weather, the views, the wine, things to do, places to see etc. It is just a condensed, zany, visual tour of the current flavours of our beautiful town. We will be updating it regularly and will certainly be working on the style and quality of delivery... keep watching!
watch the Hermanus Minute
Coming soon to the Anything Hermanus web site:
Our online poll - vote on a range of topics from light-hearted fun to more serious issues impacting Hermanus
Wines of our region - the farms, the winemakers and the wines
Living Art - art and the people behind the art
If you have any events in and around Hermanus you can register on our web site Anything Hermanus and add them for free to our events calendar. Get your business listed too!
Make a difference in February...
Warm regards,
The Anything Hermanus Team
