Two learners from Arcadia Secondary School, Octavian Scharneck (Head Boy) and Lyndell De Wee (Head Girl), were nominated by their fellow students to participate in the Trolley Dash organised by Boardwalk Hotel and Casino as part of their outreach programme. The two students had the opportunity to take anything they could from the shelves during a two-minute countdown. The Trolley Dash was valued at R3 000 each from Checkers.
Speaking to PE Express, the Boardwalk Human Resources Manager, Nopinki Timba, said, “As part of our outreach programme, we decided to approach different schools that we had worked with last year, Arcadia being one of them. We requested the Principals to submit a motivation letter from the students explaining why they would be the best candidates for this initiative, and we chose the two most deserving learners to participate.”
Arcadia Principal, Jacqui Cloete, said, “We are excited, and they were excited as well when we heard that they were chosen to participate in this event. These two learners have been in the top five every year since Grade 8, so it is good to see their hard work being rewarded. We, as a school, believe that it could not have been anyone else chosen to represent our school besides these two.”
Stating that they were filled with adrenaline beforehand, the two added that they had a strategy they planned to use, but that strategy went out the window as soon as the countdown started.
When Lyndell spoke to PE Express before starting the dash, she shared that she was excited, but more eager to grab the meat than anything else.
Reflecting on their items, Scharneck and De Wee both said that the most expensive items in their trolleys were the meat. Both of their trolleys had a value of just over R3,000.
When Scharneck was asked by PE Express whether he had any regrets, he said, “I regret taking so much meat, because I did not get everything else that I wanted. I wanted more stationery, toiletries, and some snacks. My mind was fixated on the most expensive things in the shop, which was the meat.”
When De Wee was asked whether she had any regrets, she responded, “No, I don’t. I am just grateful for the opportunity.”
In a statement, Boardwalk General Manager Tati Tsunke said, “We often take for granted how access to basic needs gives students the opportunity to fully participate in school. Being economically disadvantaged should not stand in the way of academic success, so we are delighted to have been able to assist, and we wish Lyndell and Octavian every success in their final school year.”
