By Riki Fujii
Passion has inspired a group of students and staff at Macleans College to fundraise over $5000 and, unwittingly, win a national fundraising award for Red Nose Day consisting of three $1000 vouchers.
Cure Kids, a non-profit charity providing funds for child health medical research, is the Rutherford House charity, as each of the eight houses in Macleans College supports a charity.
However, this is the first time Rutherford House organised an official Red Nose Day fundraiser, which was held during the lunchtime of 15th July – the last Friday of Term 2 – and raised over $1800.
Rebecca Tilling, a Year 13 Service Captain of Rutherford House, wanted to “do something new” with the catchphrase, “Be silly for a serious cause”.
“The aim was to have the whole school involved, and to have Rutherford students directly involved in the fundraising,” said Joanna Macdowel, a Rutherford House teacher involved in the organisation.
Rutherford students, split into their form classes, sold donuts, sausages, drinks and Red Nose Day gear, while The Edge radio station visited the “festival”.
This fundraiser raised $1800 for Cure Kids, but the story doesn’t end there. It won the Red Nose Day fundraiser competition, with prizes including $1000 Briscoe and Rebel Sports vouchers, $1000 Paper Plus vouchers and $1000 petrol voucher from Shell.
“We were blown away – our goal wasn’t to get something back…I knew about the competition, but I wasn’t trying to get anything in return,” admitted Ms Tilling.
Although the vouchers were not from Cure Kids, but from their sponsors, they were turned into cash and donated back to Cure Kids.
“We don’t need this – the idea was to give, not receive back,” says Ms Macdowel.
The money raised goes straight to medical research, and to anyone looking to fundraise for Cure Kids, Rebecca advises, “Use your initiative. Let people know about it, make them passionate,” and for other student leaders, “Give students a chance to get involved”.
Ms Macdowel also agrees, “Create awareness, be passionate about what they do, and the difference they make. Cure Kids makes fundraising fun – these fun ways can make others see the passion.”
Riki Fujii is working with UNICEF as part of the 3Youth project, an upcoming section of the 3 News website focusing on social issues and written by young people.