KNYSNA NEWS - Local charities received a record-breaking more than R260 000 from this year’s Leisure Isle Festival.

Festival chairman Niall Johnston said the organising committee is delighted that each year it is able to provide increasing and much-needed support to the Knysna community. The committee is very pleased to have raised some R30 000 more than last year – it makes all the hard work worthwhile, one commented.

Several of the charities were involved in the fundraising, running their own activities including the e'Pap beer tent and the Hospice bookstall. The proceeds of monies raised from the stand fees and 10% of everything spent at the noncharity exhibitors are all being distributed to the nine benefiting charities – Vermont Centre, Loeriehof, Hospice, e'Pap, Knysna Sports Academy, Knysna Animal Welfare, Hope HQ, Knysna Sea Cadets and Steenbok Nature Reserve.

And for once the sun shone throughout the two-day festival which took place on 4 and 5 November, attracting large festive crowds who happily browsed the many stalls of quality crafts and relaxed in the sun enjoying the many different types of food on offer. The festival offered a great day out for families and there were record crowds on both the Saturday and Sunday.

The first festival was held in 2003 when it raised just R2 000 for charities – the growth since then to the R260 000 raised this year has been phenomenal, said Johnston. This, he said, is entirely due to the generosity of local people and the many sponsors.

Johnston paid tribute to lead sponsors Lew Geffen Sothebys, for their continued all-important support and to the many other sponsors who make it possible for the festival to raise so much money for charity, including Timber Village, Mitchell's Brewery, Eagle Lighting, Allsound Security, South Cape Toilets, Paradise4Builders, Formscaff and Manbou Construction. 

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