ACE Insurance, one of the world’s largest providers of commercial property and casualty insurance, is making good on its promise to give back to the community, sponsoring Alexandra’s Gordon Primary School’s annual prize-giving for the second year in a row. On 27 November 2008, ACE treated over 850 of the underprivileged school’s children to a memorable day in recognition of their academic achievements, thanks to the company’s cash donation of over R80 000, together with the support of several other sponsors*.
“I believe that the acknowledgement of our learners’ achievements during last year’s prize-giving, together with the wonderful gifts they received, spurred them on to even greater achievements this year,” said Gordon Primary School headmaster Timothy Makhale. “ACE gave them something tangible to work towards, and for this we are very grateful.”
The academic prize winners received bumper stationery packs containing all the key essentials they’ll need for the new school year. Each of the 850 children were also given a food parcel containing a 1kg pack of maize meal, baked beans and a number of other goodies.
Lunch was also provided for all the children, teachers and invited guests, a gesture that would have been impossible for the non-fee paying school to make without the help of the sponsors. Gordon Primary School relies heavily on the support of private sponsors in order to provide a variety of services to its learners, including the school’s daily feeding programme for 350 children.
“Our involvement in the prize-giving demonstrates our belief that business has a vital role to play in community upliftment,” said ACE Insurance CEO Mike Durek. “However, because the sustainability of our involvement is important to us, we’re currently working with the school to find ways of growing our relationship that will have more of a long-term impact in the children’s lives.”
“When it comes to reducing poverty, long-term development that supports the kinds of skills and infrastructure that will contribute towards economic growth is what ACE Insurance is all about.”
Earlier this year, ACE Insurance sponsored a trip to the Johannesburg Zoo that gave many of the school’s children their first sight of wild animals. “Our goal in supporting Gordon Primary School is to help expand these children’s horizons, developing their future prospects, and essentially, Insuring Progress in the lives of each one,” Durek concluded.