Associations
SAIRAC CELEBRATES
By Benjamin Brits
70 years
1951 was the year the South African Institute for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning ( SAIRAC ) was founded by visionary Dr GM Dreosti , along with a group of like-minded individuals .
To acknowledge this historic occasion , each SAIRAC centre hosted a celebratory lunch or dinner that included members , fellows , and various guests over the month of October . Celebrations were postponed from July 2021 due to various lockdown limitations and were still well supported throughout the regions .
Current institute president , Jaco Pieterse and national institute treasurer , Grant Laidlaw , attended all of the events and along with each centre chairman took the opportunity to share words with the attendees . The centre chairmen , Craig Hendricks ( PE ), Gordon Banks ( KZN ), Gregory Grobbelaar
PORT ELIZABETH
( JHB ) and Archie Steyn ( CT ), also managed the handing over of the traditional fellow gifts and awards , where applicable .
After a brief moment of silence at each event in remembrance of those individuals lost over the period , Pieterse delivered his address highlighting the brief history of the founding of SAIRAC , that was born at the end of the July of 1951 , in Cape Town . He offered much gratitude to all of the past presidents , committees , and fellows that had all played a part in SAIRAC reaching this milestone and proposed a toast , wishing them another successful 70 years ahead .
The Beach Hotel , venue for the Port Elizabeth celebration has been a landmark since February 1894 .
The attending Port Elizabeth fellows receiving their special gifts from Jaco Pieterse ( SAIRAC president ). From left : Jaco Pieterse , Piet le Roux , Grant Laidlaw ( SAIRAC national treasurer ), Roger Brann , Mike Spearpoint , Danny Zdanow and Craig Hendricks ( SAIRAC Port Elizabeth centre chairman ).
PE Photos by SAIRAC | Onsite Image
Enjoying the entertainment along with their wives , past Port Elizabeth centre chairmen Danny Zdanow ( left ) and Allan Gaia ( right ).
Entertainer Gino Fabbri had the Port Elizabeth members engaged and enjoying themselves .
The 60th celebration gifts given out at the Port Elizabeth centre event .
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RACA Journal I January 2022 www . hvacronline . co . za