Girls Beach Day with Bianca Buitendag cancelled due to rising Covid-19 numbers

Due to the rise in Covid 19 cases and the physical nature of the Girls Beach Day with Bianca Buitendag, it has been decided with great regret and in the interests of the health and safety of all participants, volunteers and staff, that the “Girls Beach Day with Bianca Buitendag”, on Saturday 11 December 2021, has been cancelled.

George Tourism and local Olympian surfer Bianca Buitendag teamed up earlier this year to host a fun, free community event. However, the nature of the event involved direct, physical contact between participants, volunteers and staff. The Girls Beach Day had little to no economic impact as it was a free event, with no external infrastructure required, and was focused on the local surfing community interacting predominantly with school children. Due to the announcement of the fourth wave, and in consultation with the George Municipality Disaster Management unit and key stakeholders, it was decided in the interests of public safety to cancel the event.

Lauren Waring, Director of Planning and Development at George Municipality, says “We are very disappointed but given the current situation we are grateful to Bianca and the surfing fraternity for taking a cautious approach. Whilst we all want to be able to enjoy our beautiful beaches and outdoors, we must take joint responsibility for ensuring the health of our community “. Buitendag added, “We were really hoping to have a fun and motivational morning with girls of all ages, centred around our amazing beach and surfing culture. We are so disappointed that the event cannot take place but in the current climate, it is unfortunately a known and real risk when planning an event. A special thanks to the Eden Surf Riders for their hard work and contribution. We wish the community of George a safe and festive Christmas season”.

Photos by Ian Thurtell