Purple may be the official school colour of Elgin Park Secondary, but on Friday, many students, teachers and alumni eschewed the traditional tone for green and yellow instead.
The switch was made in honour of longtime teacher and rugby coach Johan Mynhardt, who recently announced to colleagues and students that he is battling prostate cancer. Green and yellow are the official colours of the flag of South Africa, where Mynhardt is from.
And on Friday, hundreds – many wearing green face paint – gathered at Elgin Park for a fundraiser in Mynhardt’s honour, grilling hot dogs, collecting donations and playing informal games of touch rugby. Mynhardt was not able to make it out to the event, as he is still recovering from recent surgery.
Event organizer Mike Jamieson, a fellow teacher at Elgin Park, estimated the event raised about $2,200 for prostate cancer research.
Jamieson – a former Elgin student himself – called the event “a huge success.”
“When I heard two weeks ago that Johan had cancer and was going in for surgery, I knew right away that something had to be done to show him how much support he has from everyone here at Elgin and in the community,” Jamieson said.
“I had Johan as a rugby coach… so I was fully aware of the effect he has on the lives of the students who pass through this school, and I knew that former players would jump at the chance to show him how much he meant to us.”