Community legend: Val Hardy celebrates 80th birthday with a gift of kindness

At 80 years, well-known Val Hardy from Welkom continues to prove that the greatest gifts are not the ones we keep, but the ones we give away.

For most, milestone birthdays are celebrated with cake, candles, and wrapped presents. For her is means something different: giving back to those with fur and feathers.

Val arrived in Welkom in 1957 at the age of 11, when her father worked on the mines.

The town, then in its earliest days, became her lifelong home – making her one of the respected and esteemed members of the “pioneer generation”.

Here she raised four children with her late husband Joe, to whom she was married for 38 years before his passing 22 years ago.

She has long been active in community life, serving in the St Helena Women’s Welfare League and the Beatrix Ladies Social Club.

Since her 60th birthday, Val has made her celebrations about others. For 21 years she has asked for donations instead of gifts, ensuring her joy benefits those in need.

“I have been blessed in life,” she explained. “Why collect things you do not need, when you can help those without a voice?”

Her friends and family have embraced the unusual request with enthusiasm. “They know it is who I am,” Val said. “Instead of wrapping paper and ribbons, they bring bags of food and vouchers.

Seeing the donations pile up fills me with gratitude; it is the best present I could ask for.”

For more than a decade, Val’s chosen cause has been Claws, Welkom’s animal welfare organization.

Each year, she has rallied friends and family to contribute pet food and vouchers, turning her birthday into a lifeline for cats and dogs and other animals in need.

Cindy Bortnowski en Rochelle Howard from Claws expressed their appre-ciation, saying “Mrs. Val’s generosity means the world to us and to the animals in our care.”

Val believes kindness and generosity are the glue that holds Welkom together. “When we give, we strengthen the bonds of community,” she said.

“I hope my gesture inspires others to see birthdays not just as personal milestones, but as opportunities to give back.”

Reflecting on her 80 years, Val says the values that have guided her most strongly are compassion, resilience, and service. “If younger generations can learn anything from me, it is that joy multiplies when shared,” she added.

As for her legacy, she hopes her birthday tradition will continue to ripple outward, encouraging others to celebrate life by lifting up those in need. “Choose your charity for your 2026 birthday, and start a ripple effect in our community.”

Deur Lien Fouché