THE EASTER SPORTS FESTIVAL IS ALMOST HERE, AND THE EXCITEMENT IS GROWING!
Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, leader of the A-Team on the TV series of the same name, summed
up the team’s successful exploits each week with the phrase ‘I love it when a plan comes together’.
And finally, all the planning that has gone into the St Stithians Easter Sports Festival has come
together. Our own A-Team - consisting of the Easter Festival management, the Saints staff and our
amazing parent volunteers - has pulled off what promises to be the most successful St Stithians
Easter Sports Festival yet!
Please look at www.saintsfestival.com for all the information relating to the Prep Sports Festival and
the Easter Sports Festival.
Standard Bank is enabling us to implement a ‘cashless’ payment system at the main Festival. Please
see the important information below about how to obtain these cards, and many parents may wish
to do so before the main Festival begins.
Prep Sports Festival
Rugby and Netball played under lights begins tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) from 16h00. We
welcome our visitors and look forward to a great atmosphere as our Prep players entertain and
inspire us.
Arrangements for Thursday 2 April
Thursday 2 April is a school day, which will end at 12h00 for the Preps and 12h30 for the Colleges.
Each school is communicating to students and parents about expectations to stay on to support St
Stithians’ teams.
Students in Saints uniform and occupants of vehicles with the 2015 windscreen sticker displayed will
not be charged the Festival entrance fee for the duration of Thursday 2 April.
Arrangements for Saturday 4 April
The Festival is the place to be on Easter Saturday! In recognition of the revenue-generating necessity
and opportunity of the Festival, the College Executive has decided to require all entrants (including
Saints students) to pay the entrance fee on the Saturday.
Inaugurating a cashless system for transactions
The 2015 Easter Sports Festival is shaping up to be another action-packed event - and we look
forward to enjoying brilliant rugby, hockey, netball, tennis, squash and basketball with unrivalled
sportsmanship and above all, great fun!
In order to ensure that this year’s Festival is safe and secure for everyone, we have agreed to go
‘cashless’. For your convenience, Standard Bank, the Festival sponsor will provide contactless cards
as a method of payment.
What are contactless cards?
Contactless, or ‘Tap & Go’ cards, can be identified by this symbol:
They give you a convenient and fast way to pay for purchases under the value of R200 without
having to dip or swipe your card and enter your PIN. You simply tap your card at the point-of-sale
terminal to pay.
Once you tap your card against the terminal, your payment will be complete in just 3 seconds,
meaning less time in queues and more time to enjoy the action! Plus, your card never leaves your
hand, so there’s less risk of it being lost or stolen.
How it will work at the Festival?
As leaders in card solutions, Standard Bank will be providing the contactless technology for the
Festival.
They will also be issuing prepaid cards at designated areas on each day of the event. Prepaid cards
will be available in denominations of R50, R100 and R200 each.
If you already have a contactless debit/cheque or credit card (issued by any bank), you will be able to
use it to pay for any purchases you make during the Festival. If you would like to apply for a card
before the event, visit.www.standardbank.co.za, or you can apply for a card at your nearest Standard
Bank branch.
After the festival, your contactless card can be used at any MasterCard merchant.
The Sporting Codes
The fixtures have been finalised, the Team Captains have been appointed, our Operations staff are
working hard to prepare the campus, and there is an excited buzz at school. You’ll find the final list
of fixtures on the mobile app: saintsfestival.com.
(BACK L-R) Nicholas Archibald – Rugby; Kyler Mintah – Basketball; Dr Tim Nuttall, Rector, St Stithians College;
Dylan Walters – Tennis (FRONT L-R) Declan Connelly – Squash; Ashleigh Elmes – Hockey (Girls); Connor
Beauchamp – Hockey (Boys); Philippa McBride – Netball.
Picture of Squash Captains: Declan Connelly and Carmen de Beer
Our amazing sponsors
None of it could have happened without our sponsors, especially our headline sponsor Standard
Bank.
Other major contributing sponsors include Vodacom 4U (Concert 4U); Deloittes (Supporters’
marquee, alongside Standard Bank); Sodexo (the VIP marquee), Grand Central Motors, Pick ‘n Pay,
Goscor and Spur, to name a few.
Hot 91.9 Broadcast
We are excited to announce that radio station Hot 91.9 will be broadcasting live from the Easter
Sports Festival on Saturday 4 April. They will be situated next to the Supporters Marquee. Their
popular DJ’s look forward to meeting some spectators on the day.
The Vendors
Ever-mindful of the fact that a successful event caters for the body as much as the senses, we have
food stalls that will tempt even the most devout dieter!
These include: La Cremosa Ice Cream; Caffe ShorBon; Caffeine Hotspot; Wendy’s Lemonade; Richies
Pancakes; Richies Pulled Pork; Frosty Melts; Spur; Chip n Dip; Mini Doughnuts; Butchers Biltong; and
Café Raw. Spray Ground Backpacks will be displaying their products.
The Saints Supporters’ Pavilion - supported by Standard Bank and Deloittes
And speaking of food….those of you who have visited the outstanding Higher Ground Restaurant will
be pleased to know that the upmarket dining experience will move to The Saints Supporters’
Pavilion for the duration of the Festival. A warning, however – Saturday is already fully-booked, so if
you would like to eat in comfort while enjoying the stunning view, you’d better call NOW, space still
available for Thursday and Monday! Reservations can be made by emailing
[email protected]. The restaurant is open on Thursday from 11h30 – 21h00 and on
Monday from 11h00 – 18h00.
For those adults who would prefer to be closer to the action, we have the Hospitality Marquee.
Kiddies’ Area
Children from 4 to 10 will enjoy the Kiddies’ area, next to the Rugby field and managed by the Junior
Prep, where they can play safely under the watchful eyes of experienced supervisors.
And the Concert 4U….sponsored by Vodacom 4U
This event has proved immensely popular, with hundreds of eager music fans dancing the hours
away. On Thursday, we feature DJ FRESH and THE ILLUSTRATORS; Saturday features THE KIFFNESS
and ex-Saints boys PASCAL & PEARCE.
However, just as exciting is our line-up of St Stithians’ talent. Emily Fields, BC HipHop Club, Ashlinn
Gray, Montreal Love Story and Lance Chance Seattle will entertain you, while DJ Max van de Lecq
(aka ‘Maxxvdl’) will keep you dancing between acts.
And don’t forget – the R30 entrance fee includes the concert.
For a full Concert 4U programme, visit our mobile app: saintsfestival.com.
Well…we think we have covered everything. Let us support the Prep Sports Festival with enthusiasm
for the evenings of 26-28 March. Join us on April 2nd, 4th and 6th for a family outing that has
something for everyone.
Dr Tim Nuttall, Rector of St Stithians College, sums up the whole Saints’ sports experience: “St
Stithians is a proud sporting school which advocates the importance of sport in character
development and in wellbeing. A healthy body supports a healthy mind. Sport is integral to our
offering of holistic education that includes an academic focus, cultural pursuits, leadership, outdoor
education and community engagement activities. Our sports supporters are valued and
cheerleading is a great feature in creating atmosphere at sporting events. Since its founding in 1984,
the Easter Sports Festival has been built on the principles of enjoying the game, camaraderie and
sportsmanship. The Festival is one of the highlights of our sporting calendar.”
Buy your tickets at the Bram Fischer gate and the Peter Place gate. Entrance fee is R30 – which
also covers the Concert 4U – children under 2 are free.