Saints Rowing Community Clean Up Initiative

On Saturday 10th October a large number of the rowing community supported by students from both the Girls’ and Boy’ College completing community service descended on Roodeplaat Dam to assist the Gauteng Rowing Association with maintenance of the rowing course. Due to lockdown and no-one being able to access the dam the rowing course has been severely damaged with lane lines and bouys becoming tangled and submerged in debris.  A request was sent to all rowing schools to assist with the clean up to ensure that the course will be ready for our rowers to get back on the water once all sports have been cleared to resume.

Everyone gathered at 8am to complete the necessary Covid screening requirement and received briefing from the coaches.  The key jobs for the students included a thorough clean of the boathouse including emptying out the entire contents, cleaning the floors, boat racks, washing of all blades and boats and assisting with the removal of hyacinth from the dam.  The students and parents also worked on untangling over 20 kms of lane lines and separating bouys so that the lanes could be relayed for racing.  A number of parents assisting by driving motorboats to retrieve ropes and buoys from the dam that had become tangled in debris.

It was hard work  with everyone getting rather dirty but it was wonderful to see Saints Spirit in action.  A big thank you to everyone who took time out to travel to the dam and give up their Saturday to assist Saints rowing. The Gauteng Rowing Association were blown away by how many people from Saints were there to pitch in. Thank you One and All.