Round Table Sandown 150
To work at Cannonball Run for a first project, I don’t know what I was supposed to expect, but it was none of it, all of it and more.
You could be forgiven for thinking a project going for 19 events over 20 years would be a well oiled money raising machine! Well at least half of that is true. Coordinating 16 activities and 24 events over 3 days with 32 staff is no joke. The problems you have to deal with on the day,
during an event where participants paid good money and are fuelled with red mist (turning off all the traction controls) while charged with adrenaline is not for the easily rattled. You are forced to take lead, you are forced to think quickly, you are forced to make a plan RIGHT NOW, and you BETTER NOT CALL ROSS or risk the fury of a thousand suns.
That said, Ross Chriton is the “idea guy”, and he has a magic ability for making things happen, coordinating that many events and all the staff is impossible, well not without pressure levels equalling the centre of a sun (hence the nickname Raging Ross).
So he intentionally decided that he won’t do that this year, which in itself is actually a great leadership philosophy (delegate authority not responsibility) and gives the staff ample opportunities to develop their own leadership skills, albeit daunting.
I’m not going to lie I was a tiny bit disappointed I didn’t get to see that (the exploding Ross), so obviously the delegation strategy worked.
Could things have been better planned? Sure, and they will be next year as we are now forced to adopt, adapt and improve. But can you really argue with raising R453,966.73?
To attempt to summarise the feelings throughout the event, think: adrenaline, sleep deprivation, intense teamwork, ad-hoc replanning, a kak ton of driving, sun tan (burn) and of course supercars.
By the end of it all the crew couldn’t wait to unleash a massive jol, blowing out until 4am the next morning like mad scientists released from prison.
For a first project this ignited a table fire in me that I didn’t know I had, and next year will be even bigger.
Thank you to Jaco Fourie for being the gateway to Polokwane, last minute support from Pretoria 137 and Bosveld area chair Antonie Smit, the 32 staff, all the contestants and of course Ross Chriton who could make an event like this possible.
P.s. Bosveld, no take backs, we will gladly have your support next year!
