On 24 November 2014 Silverstar, along with the help of generous patrons, again demonstrated a commitment to support the local environment by handing over cheque for R157 433.50 to the Black Eagle Project in Roodekrans.
The money handed over comes from guests visiting Silverstar, and who use the water feature with the Black Eagles sculpture in the main entrance as a wishing well to throw in coins and spare change. Silverstar cleans out these coins regularly and matches the contribution before handing it over to the project.
This forms part of Silverstar’s annual donation which has contributed approximately R280 000 since it opened its doors in 2009. “We are honoured to be able to continuously support our community and our environment”, says Shane Collinson, Director of Operations and Complex General Manager at Silverstar.
When asked what the money will be used for, Gerald Draper, Chairperson of the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans said, “We will use the funds for educational purposes, promotional items, and to drive the advertising and branding of the project. A portion of the funds will also be used to upgrade our camera equipment, the entrance to the Gardens and to supply winter uniforms to our dedicated Monitoring team.”
“We would like to thank our patrons for joining us in our backing of the Black Eagles through their generous contributions. We are delighted to be able to make this donation and support this wonderful project”, says Collinson.
In 2010, Silverstar Casino showed its commitment to further preserving the local environment by announcing that it was donating 10 hectors of land worth more than R6 million to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens where the Black Eagles nest. When Silverstar was built, every effort was made to ensure that the area, especially the ridge, was not over-developed. The Casino complex made this donation to preserve the Botanical Gardens as well as protect the hunting grounds of the Black Eagles who nest above the waterfall in the gardens.
Silverstar was built on sound environmental principles and the developers of both the original complex and the recent upgrades consulted with the Black Eagle Project throughout the planning and construction. Every effort has been made to ensure that the property will not pose a risk to the bird’s flight patterns or their natural habitat.
