DAY
ANDREW MENTIS GOLF
DAY
By Tom Barff –Vice Captain
th
Natal’s AMFGD was hosted on 9 November 2018 at Royal Durban Golf Club. The event was a
great success with a full field of 144 players, which is a great effort in the current economic
climate. We had a number of guests join us on the day, and hopefully they were impressed by
the Nomadic camaraderie and the collective spirit displayed by all our members towards raising
funds for charitable purposes and “those less fortunate than ourselves”.
At my prize-giving I spoke to the objectives and “THE PURPOSE” associated with Nomads Golf –
and in particular the good work which we do through the Andrew Mentis Foundation. The
initiative was given impetus by Andrew Mentis, a Nomad Founder Member in 1967 in Gauteng,
who contributed personally to the fund every year. Monies raised are donated to a pre-selected
charity that operates within each Club’s own geographical area in the form of tangible asset.
Each year, every Club’s activities culminate with the handover of a donation to the selected
Charity at the Andrew Mentis golf day.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
completed to date -
1. Projects have been completed
annually since 1968 -
2. 2008 - Bill Buchanan Assoc for
the Aged
3. 2009 - SPCA, Greyville Shelter,
Pathways
4. 2010 - Childline KZN
This year’s event was particularly significant as the year in which Andrew Mentis passed away at
the age of 93.
Nationally, since inception, the Andrew Mentis Endowment Fund has raised and donated in
excess of R37 million to charities. This year, between the various national Nomads Clubs across
SA we are hoping to raise in excess of R1.5 million.
The charity I nominated for 2018 was Vukukhanye, which is a non-profit organisation concerned
with the care and support of orphans & vulnerable children. AG van der Meulen, Director of
Vukukhanye was at prize giving to say a few words about the work that they do and how the
funds raised will be put to use, i.e. towards a new undercover area at the Preschool, with funds
being used to purchase and install Astroturf, an awning and a covered sandpit; as well as
security gates and burglar bars in the Classrooms. We raised R75,000 at the Golf Day alone and
along with other donations, and the raffle ticket sales we will have over R100,000 which will be
put towards the above assets for Vukukhanye.
I would like to again thank all those individuals and corporates that made generous donations
and/or sponsorship of prizes at this fantastic day. Thank you also to Royal Durban Golf Club and
Mike Jordan for all the help that went into the day’s event – I look forward to the 2019 event
and trust it will again be a great success.
Regards
Tom Barff
5. 2011 - Howick Hospice /Fulton
School for the deaf / Micah 6 /
Orphan Aid
6. 2012 - Keep the Dream
Foundation / Child Welfare
Vryheid / C.R.O.W .
7. 2013 - Mooi Hawens Frail Care
and Whizz Kidz
8. 2014 - Kloof Rest Home and
Tuinsig Centre For The Aged
9. 2015 - Ithemba Lethu and
Careways
10. 2016 - Nhlangano Primary
School; Westville Babies Home
and Durban Mental Health
11. 2017 - KZN Quad Para
Association
12. 2018 – Vukukhanye Educare
Centre