DISCLAIMER: This is not a real food recipe I have created, or a review about a new restaurant I discovered but rather a post about something I believe we all need to be made aware of: the protection and well being of the Cape Leopard.
With the recent fires on and around The Helderberg Mountains, our indigenous fauna and flora have suffered tremendously and even more so has our wildlife as their habitat has been ruined. It is due to this reason that the esteemed South African artist, Fuz Caforio, joined forces with the Art Curator and the Cape Leopard Trust to put together a stunning fundraising event which Brendan and I attended on Saturday evening.
We were welcomed at the beautiful art gallery with a glass of wine from one of the many sponsors for the evening, Lourensford Wine Estate. The option of a cider made from pressed apples by Cluver & Jack was also on the table and if you’ve seen my recent post on Instagram, I promised that I would rave about the latter on my blog. So here goes. I enjoy a glass of wine no(ooooo)w and then, but my husband is not a fan at all. On Saturday he was however asked to give the Cluver & Jack cider a taste (and so did I, naturally) and were we impressed by it’s crisp and refreshing taste?! I peeked at the ingredient list on the bottle and LOVED what I read: firstly, the cider is not made from any concentrate and secondly the product is naturally gluten free. Furthermore, no flavourants or colourants have been added and the cider has been “crafted from freshly pressed apple juice”. In my books that is considered a REAL cider and here on And Then There Was Food we like to keep things very real… you know.
On entering the art gallery, Faz’ beautiful artwork of the large cats drew us in and kept us mesmerised. The hand work, the detail… one can see the artist has dedicated much time to the study of these magnificent animals. And at the very same time emotions of sadness are awakened in us as we observe the message in many of these paintings: my home (habitat) in ruins.
Jennifer Nel and her guitarist kept us entertained with sweet melodies while we got comfortable with all that the evening had to offer. There were raffles for wonderful prizes and various sales of which the profits would be donated to the Cape Leopard Trust. And then of course there were delicious canapés to compliment the various drinks.
Once everyone was settled and had a look at all the art work, it was time for some encouraging talks and the live auction which was the main focus of the evening. Braam Malherbe was the MC for this event – what an inspirational man. He emphasised the gift of giving and the fact that each of us have the ability to make a difference to the longevity of this planet. And I fully agree.
The spokesperson for the Leopard Trust brought their vision and purpose as a team across with the help of a presentation. Not only do they focus on the long-term survival of leopards but they also stretch themselves to educate and empower young people about our natural environment. I believe instilling a reverence and respect for our natural environment will and can only be of great benefit if done at this young age already.
Joey Burke was the auctioneer for the event and did an amazing job at promoting all the amazing prizes that were sponsored. Sponsorships came from The Diamond Works, Jacquar Stellenbosch, Erinvale Hotel and Spa, Lourensford Wine Estate, The Royal Portfolio, Three Potters and a Painter, Segafred Coffee, Cluver & Jack, Mountain Brewing Co., Mont Rochelle, Whimsical Collection and of course Fuz Caforio who sponsored an artwork valued at at least R90 000. The Diamond Works’ contribution was a diamond and sapphire ring valued at R156 990 and the lucky lady who got it at the auction couldn’t stop kissing her man for winning the bid at R30 000. What a score! Lucky girl!
And there you have a wonderful evening in a nutshell. The Fuz Caforio exhibition will run until the 20th of October 2017 at the Art Curator Gallery in Somerset West. Raffle tickets at R100 each are still on sale for prizes to the value of R35 000. Go support them, friends. Let’s stand together and raise awareness of our country’s conservation and furthermore protect the future of our precious leopards.
Source: http://andthentherewasfood.co.za/lets-help-cape-leopard/
