Eversdal Primary School’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Becomes a Gift to 50 Charities!

Photo Credit: Supplied by Louw Lombaard (Eversdal Primary School)

In its celebration of five decades of excellence, Eversdal Primary School honoured its 50th anniversary by rallying its community to raise over R350,000 to support 50 charities that support children, families, and vulnerable communities.

Cape Town, South Africa (10 September 2026) – Towards the end of August, we shared a story about how Eversdal Primary School would be celebrating its 50^th birthday not only by looking back on five decades of memories, achievements and growth, but also by giving back to 50 incredible charities!

In just a matter of weeks, Eversdal has not only reached its goal to raise R250,000, but it surpassed it – reaching a wonderful R358,510 to donate to charitable organisations that make a difference in the lives of children!

The school’s iconic DAMUS fundraising initiative, which has been part of Eversdal Primary School’s identity since 1976, held its 48th edition on Thursday, 27 August 2026. This year’s DAMUS was larger and more meaningful than ever before.

“From the beginning, we felt that Eversdal Primary School’s 50th anniversary should be about more than just our own celebrations. It also had to be an opportunity to live out our motto, ‘We give,’ in a tangible way,” says Salomina du Plessis, organiser of the fundraiser.

“To see how our parents/guardians, teachers, and community embraced this project was incredibly special.”

Thanks to the exceptional support of the Eversdal community, the project exceeded all expectations, raising an impressive amount that was raised and divided equally.

DAMUS is much more than an ordinary fundraising project. It is a beloved Eversdal tradition that has its origins in the school’s early history. The games played during the main event have remained the same over the decades, offering learners the opportunity to play the very same games from days gone by.

Each year, the DAMUS evening brings together learners, parents/guardians, families, alumni, and members of the community for an evening of childhood fun, games, good food, and community spirit. This year’s 48th event was the highlight of a larger campaign held during August that focused on Gratitude.

In the 25 days leading up to DAMUS, Eversdal introduced two of the 50 beneficiary organisations on the school’s social media platforms each day, all of which perform vital work that, in one way or another, to support children, families, and vulnerable communities in South Africa.

“The money we were able to donate to the organisations is, of course, very important, but we also wanted to give them a platform,” says Salomina du Plessis.

“We wanted our school community to get to know the people and organisations that often quietly make an enormous difference in the lives of others every day.”

Gys Burger, principal of Eversdal Primary School, said he was incredibly proud of what the school community achieved.

“We want our learners to understand that success is not measured only by what you achieve, but also by what you are willing to mean to others. Values such as caring, compassion, service, and generosity form an important part of the people we hope our learners will become one day.”

At a time when public schools themselves are under increasing financial pressure, Eversdal Primary School is particularly proud that the community stood together to donate a meaningful amount to organisations outside the school.