Stellenbosch Wine Festival gives back to the farming community
Monday, 10 February, 2014
Stellenbosch Wine Route
The Stellenbosch Wine Festival Foundation awarded bursaries to the value of R100 000 to three students at the University of Stellenbosch. This impressive donation forms part of the festival’s community upliftment and development programme.
The recipients are Felecia Solomons of Saxenburg Wine Estate on Polkadraai, a second year Humanities student, third year Social Dynamics student Ashriq Pietersen from Lynedoch and fourth year medical student Yvonne Dyum of Muratie.
The Stellenbosch Wine Festival Foundation has been the official beneficiary of the Stellenbosch Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay for the past two years. In partnership with the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes, the foundation aims to actively contribute to the upliftment of local communities. Proceeds from various events such as the Grape Golf Challenge hosted during the 2013 festival were donated to the foundation specifically for their bursary fund.
According to Annareth Bolton, Chief Executive Officer of the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes, one of the objectives of the festival is to give back to the local community. “Although our core focus is the promotion and marketing of our wines to the local and international market, our wine industry would not be able to exist without the support of our local communities. Except for the fact that the wine industry is one of the biggest employers in the Stellenbosch region, the Stellenbosch Wine Festival also delivers a significant financial boost to the regional economy and creates a unique opportunity for community participation,” mentions Bolton.
The University of Stellenbosch’s WOW (Words Open Worlds) has played a key role in the identification of suitable candidates, the allocation of bursaries as well as the establishment of a mentorship program to offer support to the students.
The 2014 Stellenbosch Wine Festival took place from 24 January to 2 February and the proceeds of the festival will once again be utilised for bursaries for eligible candidates studying at the University of Stellenbosch.