Junior School Walks 86km For a Cure
The is a month-long, virtual fitness event, where participants are challenged to run or walk 86km. Why 86? Because on average, 86 children are diagnosed with cancer each month in Australia. Our Junior School SRC decided to support this cause, raising money and awareness in a fun and active way. Speaking to one of the SRC Captains, Harriet, she said, “We wanted to raise money for this because cancer is such a big problem.”
On Tuesday 9 April, the SRC organised a charity walk around the Deck Playground. In the lead up to the event, they measured out a 100-metre course around the playground, and participants could choose to walk 200 or 400 metres. The SRC arranged for students to receive a stamp after every lap they completed, so as not to lose count, and specially designed stickers were given to everyone who took part as a fun reminder of their participation. Donations of one cent per metre were then collected and will be tallied up soon. As you can imagine, the team had to think about many different aspects, and even had to contend with strong wind on the day, but they executed the event with great professionalism and showed fantastic calm under pressure!
While this was an amazing fundraising event, it also ties into the Junior School’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, where it is part of the School’s philosophy to take action and raise awareness of issues. It is because of this that the decision was made to actually participate in the walking, as opposed to simply donating money, and also why girls were given agency as to what distance they wanted to cover. These opportunities for decision making help the girls grow in independence and maturity, traits that will become important as they move up in years.
From a community perspective, this is also a cause that is close to the hearts of all at ³ûÖÊÓƵ, as Junior School Music Coordinator, Ms Gutierrez, sadly lost her daughter Amelie to childhood cancer in 2022. The Junior School therefore made the decision that all money raised would go towards Amelie’s Rainbow team. If you too would like to support Amelie’s Rainbow team, you can .
Huge congratulations to not only the girls in the Junior School SRC, but all the girls who braved the cold conditions to do their part to raise money for Amelie's Rainbow team. At last count, the total amount raised was just over $1,000, so well done to all!