Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust moves to Gauteng: 'Wild west' fundraising adventure

On the 1st of September 2007 the Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust will be hosting a spectacular “African wild west adventure” fundraising event at the Diamond X Ranch in Rayton, just outside of Johannesburg. The adventure, which is free and open to the public, will include participation from various celebrities and TV personalities in exciting team events where participants will perform a range of ‘cowboy' disciplines which are sure to elicit great interest from the attending public. The festivities will finish off with a glamorous ‘spring ball' gala dinner with all proceeds from ticket sales going to the Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust.

Following two successful fundraising initiatives in Durban in 2005 and 2006, Ricky Smit, CEO of the Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust, has decided to launch their annual fundraising event in Johannesburg on 1st September 2007. Says Smit, "Our aim for 2007 is to build an awareness of the Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust in Gauteng and to this end we have planned a stunning ‘wild west' themed event to take place on the beautiful Diamond X Ranch located just outside Johannesburg.

This event will provide fun for the whole family and we encourage the public to join us either as spectators or as participants. We are expecting several of the 7de Laan personalities to make an appearance on the day, and some of them have even hinted at participating in the team events, which should be great for the spectators.”

Visitors will enjoy an authentic ranching experience with exciting activities like roping, cattle herding, horse irons and an off-road paper chase. Eight (8) teams of six (6) members each will perform four (4) disciplines while being judged by a panel of experts who will allocate points to each team. The teams will then be placed according to points earned and the final winning team announced on the day. Each team will be allocated horses for the duration of the event and sponsors can purchase full branding rights over each team for a donation of R15, 000.00.

The ‘spring ball' gala dinner is a themed event which will take place after the day's activities at the Diamond X Ranch. The spring ball has been successfully held in Kwa-Zulu Natal in the past and it was decided to take this gracious and glamorous event to Gauteng. “This year we have chosen to carry the ‘wild west' theme over to the spring ball and are asking guests to arrive dressed in ‘Zorro' style outfits with red or black Spanish dresses, masks, hats etc.,” says Ricky Smit. The spring ball will cater to 450 people with tickets priced at R750 per person and all proceeds going to the Nicholas Rey Foundation Trust. To purchase a ticket to the spring ball, or a table of ten (10), please contact Nico Van Jaarsveld on 072 355 8060.

Guests at the ‘Spring Ball' gala event will be able to bid on several high ticket items which have been graciously donated to the Trust to aid in raising funds. Some of these items include the Stallion services of two of the country's top stallions (valued at R250 000), the racing career of a thoroughbred race horse, designer jewellery, original works of art and more.