On Friday the 1st of December 2023, Kingswood College hosted its second Legacy Dinner to recognise donors and volunteers for their generous support of the school during the past two years.
Under a gorgeous December night sky, 80 guests descended on the Wyvern for the black-tie event. The evening was filled with smiles, laughter, and people uniting in Kingswood’s name; all coming together to celebrate the joy of making a difference and the profound impact of giving.
The Legacy Dinner is a special biennial event (only occurring once every two years) where the focus of the evening is simple – to say thank you to the many individuals and businesses within the Kingswood family who give selflessly to the College during a specific period. Those who had celebrated 10-year giving milestones for the Legends Fund were also included in the evening in celebration of their commitment to the Fund.
To begin the evening, Mr Carey Hobson (Kingswood Director of Advancement) provided a warm welcome to all the guests and expressed his deep gratitude on behalf of Kingswood for their generous and loyal support of the school. Mr Hobson, referencing both Kingswood’s past and present, spoke on the power of people coming together to make a difference. He talked about how this impact can be seen through the eyes of current pupils of Kingswood, as all their collective efforts work to strengthen that deep life-long connection so many Kingswoodians share.
This was followed by an address by 2024 Head Girl Matipa Karimazondo who shared a heart-warming talk on her own experiences at Kingswood, giving thanks on behalf of Kingswood’s pupils.
To end the evening, Mrs Megan Erasmus (Kingswood Foundation Manager) gave thanks to the guests on behalf of the College, staff and its pupils and recognised all those who made the dinner possible.
Alongside a lively ambiance, guests enjoyed an exceptional three-course meal compliments of the Wyvern managers (Joey and Garth Bradfield) and their staff, during which they were entertained by both piano and violin performances by Kingswood pupils: Aimee Newcombe (Grade 10), Grace Hough (Grade 10) and Paul Basset (Grade 8) on piano and James-Quinn Bailey (Grade 5) and Luana Vicente (Grade 8) on the violin.
A special tribute was made during the evening to Mr Alistair Collier (OK 1970) who was amongst the guests at the dinner. Alistair celebrated his retirement as a trustee from the Kingswood College Centenary Trust and Kingswood College Scholarship and Bursary Trust that day, marking the end of a 15-year term in service as a trustee.
“Alistair has served as a trustee for Kingswood since October 2008. His third term as a trustee comes to an end today, and he will retire as a trustee having served the trusts for 15 years. Besides this, he served on the Council for close to 20 years earning the Muirhead Founder’s Friend Award in 2019. His dedication, leadership and service to Kingswood have been immense, and he has left a legacy which will benefit the school for many years to come…” – Megan Erasmus
Contributors to the event’s success included The Wyvern Club, Mr Naartjie and Mrs Cheryl Moss, and Mrs Amy Webster and Mrs Dee Hobson on behalf of the OK Club.
The Legacy Dinner was a night full of many thanks and gratitude, dedicated to honouring the incredible individuals who support Kingswood. Thank you to all those who could join us for the event. For those who were invited but couldn’t attend, your presence was felt on the night.