TuksRag captures Memorable Moments in Time 

Thousands of students took to the streets of Pretoria on Saturday, 12 February, to take part in the annual TuksRag procession and to raise funds for charity. The theme of this year’s procession was Memorable Moments in Time, and up to 7 000 students escorted 15 floats, interspersed with a variety of performing groups, through the streets of eastern Pretoria.

The event began with a musical event, the UP Beat Festival, which was held at the Rag Farm on the LC de Villiers sport campus the previous evening.  The procession was officially opened by the Mayor of Tshwane and alumnus, Kgoslentso Ramokgopa, and the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, Prof Cheryl de la Rey.  

Each float that was built had to be donated to charity or be built entirely from material that could be recycled. This forms part of the TuksRag Committee’s Go Green Project, which was launched last year. The float-building competition was won by the men’s residence Olympus and the women’s residence Erica. The theme of their float was the discovery of electricity. 

A highlight of the annual Rag Week festivities was the crowning of the TuksRag Queen. Petroné Snyman was crowned the 2011 TuksRag Queen at the Rag Queen Debutants Ball. She is a second-year student in BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics. The first princess was Danielle Roodt, a third-year BSc Genetics student, and the second princess was third-year BCom LLB student, Melissa Wicht. The money that is raised by these debutants goes towards the charities that are supported by TuksRag. 

At the heart of TuksRag is a massive charity drive to raise enough money to support the more than 35 charity orginisations in which the residences, day houses and faculty houses are involved, and to still have funds left over for other projects. TuksRag brings in the most money of all rag organisations in South Africa and the third most in the world. 

Among the worthy causes that benefit from the proceeds of this fundraising event are the Daspoort Policlinic, soup kitchens for the elderly, children’s homes, needy students who require funds to pursue their studies and a wide array of other charity organisations. TuksRag has donated more than R4 million to charity organisations over the past two years, and various community projects have become self-sustaining through its efforts.

 

    
Rag Queen Petroné Snyman (middle) with Danielle Roodt (left) and 
Melissa Wicht (right)


 
This year's winners of the float-building competition are Olympus and Erika. The second place was taken by Sonop
and Klaradyn.