At this time of Thanksgiving we’d like to give thanks

If you had asked the founder of the John X Foundation, Chris Petersen, at the initial onset of the project, if he believed we would be where we are today, he would have laughed at you. At the time we were like many other companies around the world, doing our bit “financially” forming part of a growing economy providing jobs, skills, opportunities, and livelihoods.

We have AFRICA – a setting and destination like no other…

Our hunters hunt for conservation….

While supporting and sustaining an economy within an economy….

BUT we wanted to do more than “just” form part of the economy, we wanted to show how much we as hunters care.

And so through the continued support and generous contributions from so many of you we have been able to take giant leaps from those initial ideas and humble beginnings. What started out as a one man show SCI Blue Bag donation, has snowballed into numerous projects supported by many of our hunters.

We partnered up with you, our proud hunters, and brought back the smiles through your caring donations….

We then challenged you to not only donate and provide school supplies and an abundance of stationary, but to join us on our dream of an entire make over of our little school. No longer did we want our kids to have to endure empty play grounds and graffiti riddled walls, or the thought of cold school lunches – no the winds of change had to blow through our little school.

And blow they did….

Today our little school has been transformed into a kiddies wonderland where the daily reality of poverty can be forgotten for just a while to let the colors of the rainbow flow into their lives as they take strides in the right direction with an education.

It goes without saying that without each and everyone who donated in his or her own way, we would not have reached the John X Foundations goal during 2014. Special mention needs to be made of a number of people who went the extra mile, taking on our project with invigorating energy – It all matters and counts at the end of the day – no matter how big or small.

Phillip & Paige Nelsen / Jason, Tracey, Hunter & Jordan Nelsen / Jason Maxwell / Jarod Wallace / Chris & Collette Ashcroft / Robert & La Shanda Terry / Kelly & Suzanne Edwards / Jim & Cari Smith / Larry & Claudia Fullmer / Brett & Shelie Wright / Brad & Leslie Wilson / Randy & Emily B Spence

Both Trish and I, and the entire John X Team, cannot thank you enough for the opportunity and trust you placed in us and the foundation during 2014. Next year sees us taking on a new project, taking our foundation to the masses. John X Safaris, together with Splitting Image Taxidermy, looks forward to launching our 2015 initiative early in the new year. We will once again be calling on you to assist with “Hunters Feeding the Hungry”. Exciting times await…..

A happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

Carl & Trish van Zyl

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