Fourways High School children had a chance to help break a world record while providing for the less fortunate.
On 13 September, and as part of their 100th-year celebrations, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines decided to host a very special birthday event that celebrated both planes and the future. As part of the celebrations, more than 14 000 schoolchildren across Johannesburg (including about 1 000 of Fourways High School) broke the record for the most number of paper planes flown at a single time.
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More than 14 000 paper planes, each containing a message from ordinary South Africans dedicated to their future selves, were launched at 15 schools across the province.
“When it came to celebrating 100 years, we felt it was important to look at the next 100 years, not back at the past 100 years,” said Wouter Vermeulen, general manager: Southern African Region at Air France-KLM. “Sustainability is so important, which is why we involved the youth.
“The paper used for the planes was recycled and had been used by ordinary South Africans – including the schoolchildren and cyclists applying for the 94.7 Cycle Challenge – to write down their hopes for the future. We are very excited to have broken this world record as part of our local KLM100 activities.”
Another way that the company was promoting sustainability was that once the attempt was made, the paper planes were collected by KLM to be recycled into compost as the company builds a sustainable ‘forest of the future’ at the Mother Of Peace orphanage, which will launch next month and closer to the company’s official birthday, 7 October.
“It’s amazing that KLM has been going 100 years under the same name, and a very happy birthday to them.” Photo: Robyn Kirk
Planted over 2 000m² of land in the shape of the KLM logo, this food forest will become a consistent, sustainable source of food for both the orphanage and communities in and around the Diepsloot area.
“About 1 000 of our pupils were involved in today’s record attempt, between grade 8 and grade 11 as the matrics are writing their prelims,” said Garth Neilson, Fourways High School’s deputy principal. “I think the children did fantastically and I’m very proud of them.
“It’s important for them to understand how necessary sustainability is, and I’m glad that KLM is recycling these planes so that [the birthday celebrations] are not just a one-day event.”
