Terrorised tots hit jackpot
2005-12-01 08:46
Boksburg - Initially they were unconsolable.
Now they can't stop smiling thanks to a good Samaritan whose heart is even bigger than his wallet.
Barely a day after robbers hit the Early Childhood and Women Development Centre's creche in Reiger Park in Boksburg on the East Rand and robbed them of nearly R34 000, the children and staff heard that there might still be something in the Christmas stocking.
The management of Montecasino in Johannesburg decided on Wednesday to donate to the centre the amount the robbers had taken from them.
About 20 children and staff were held at gunpoint while the centre was robbed of money that would've been used to pay bonuses to staff and volunteers.
"Many of our children come from very poor families and we wanted to give them a graduation ceremony and buy clothes for Christmas," said Annis van Greunen, the principal. "But when the money was stolen, we nearly gave up. The atmosphere was like a cemetery on Wednesday morning."
Van Greunen said everybody was "ecstatic"about the donation.
"It's a wonderful Christmas present and just shows you that there are still people with good hearts among us," she said.
"The school needs every cent to survive, as most of our children's parents cannot pay. The robbery really hurt but fortunately there will be something for everybody for Christmas.
Elsabe Griesel, spokesperson for Montecasino, said news about the robbery had deeply touched her.
"The story touched us and we just had to do something," she said. "It is sad that small children had to live through such a traumatic experience and we'd like to show them that there aren't only bad people in the world."
Griesel said Montecasino will hand the money over to the school within the next few days.
"We also want to spoil the children for a day," she said.