Class giving and the MBBCH class of '66
-
Class of '66 gifts over R600 000 to the Faculty of Health Sciences for the PV Tobias Bursary Fund.
Reunions offer a special opportunity for members of a graduated class to share memories, renew friendships and join forces in offering an enduring group gift to Wits. The Wits Medical School Class of 1966 was such a reunion; they came together for their 50th reunion at Wits Medical School. Dr Mary Hodkinson (MBBCh 1966, MSc Med 1990, PhD 1999) and Professor Michael Eliastam (MBBCh 1966) convened the itinerary for the three-day reunion.
It included two nights at a game reserve, a talk on campus by Dr Martin Smith (MBBCh 1982) on health politics in South Africa, and a tour of Drimolen – the world-famous Cradle of Humankind fossil site – led by Dr Colin Menter (PhD 2003), son of Dr Alan Menter (MBBCh 1966).
The reunion dinner was held at the Adler Museum of Medicine. A memorial for deceased alumni preceded cocktails. Many of the alumni travelled great distances to attend. The advantage of those operating in dollars, euros or pounds is that the exchange rate considerably favours Wits, and donations from abroad go a long way.
A gift of over R600 000 from 36 members of the Class of ‘66 was handed over to the Faculty of Health Sciences in January 2016 for the PV Tobias Bursary Fund.