School personnel thanked for their efforts during floods
PARKVIEW – A a few knights in shining armour were available to help out motorists stuck in the floods in the greater parks area.
Marketer at Jan Celliers Laerskool Bernice du Toit writes:
The first of February, just another rainy day… yet it wasn’t just another rainy day.
It was a day a community took hands in a situation as unexpected and sudden as the incredible downpour the greater parks area experienced.
In a matter of minutes, the immense amount of water that had fallen from the heavens suddenly had nowhere to go. A combination of factors: the low-lying area in front of Jan Celliers school’s main entrance; Zoo lake’s already full capacity due to continuous rains the weeks before; blocked and poor maintained storm drains; and of course, that incredible amount of rain that fell in the short period of time that very afternoon, all culminated into a potential disastrous situation.
Some motorists were caught off guard in the flooded area and got stuck. With water levels reaching the undercarriage of their vehicles and in some cases at window level, they had no other option but to wait patiently for the water to subside. Unfortunately, due to the blocked and neglected storm drains the water was there to stay.
Luckily there were a few knights in shining (green) armour, Vusi Mokoena and Simon Mbele, terrain personnel of Jan Celliers school on Lower Park Drive. They joined forces with the folks from 24/7 security company and other motorists to assist the stranded vehicles. Soon the potential hazardous situation was dealt with, and everyone involved was safe and on the dryer side of Lower Park Drive.
‘Well done Jan Celliers school, mad at roads department, this has been going on for at least 10 years and nothing done to fix drainage,’ a comment left by Saffron Doran on the Saxonwold and Parkwood Residents Association Facebook page.
It was a true testament of community taking hands and helping one another, selfless acts of kindness.
‘The Parkview Residents’ Association (PRA) just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your ‘men in green’ for coming to the rescue earlier this week when we experienced heavy rain, and the road in front of Jan Celliers ended up being flooded. The fact that your ground staff stepped in and assisted so many of the cars that got caught in this flood did not go unnoticed by the PRA and we just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your team.
‘This is exactly what community is about and it is an honour to have your amazing school on our doorstep and very much a part of our local community,’ read a letter to Jan Celliers’ principal, Gerhard Keyter, written by Caryl Kelly, marketing and communication for the Parkview Residents’ Association.
Jan Celliers school would like to thank our two staff members for helping without hesitation, thank you 24/7 security patrol vehicles and staff for assisting with traffic control and always being available to assist, thank you to the Parkview and Parkwood residents associations for sharing this lovely gesture with everyone on social media platforms.
We at Jan Celliers school feel honoured and blessed to form part of this caring and united community.
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