The organizers of the star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket series are offering learners from underprivileged schools in areas where the matches will be played a chance to be a part of the action by making thousands of tickets available to them at a reduced price.
Matches are being played in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, East London, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Bloemfontein until May 24, and the IPL organisers have made 1000 free tickets for each match available to underprivileged schools on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The schools can then sell these tickets on to their learners for R20 each, with the schools allowed to keep all funds raised. In addition, for every one ticket bought from the school the learner will then receive another two tickets for free.
The offer ties in to the IPL’s HEAT project, a R8-million scholarship programme for schools and individual learners that is among the largest community programmes in South Africa by a sport organisation.
As part of the programme, 30 needy schools in the eight host cities have been identified to receive R100 000 for a specifically dedicated scholarship fund. Alexander Sinton High School in the Cape Town suburb of Athlone last week became the first school to receive the R100 000.
The HEAT programme will also identify five learners at every match and those selected will receive R15000 towards their school fees.
Schools wishing to participate in the project should contact the coordinator Philippa Spark at [email protected] or at 078 410 2998.