I love to go on long walks. There is something therapeutic about walking and being in nature. I do it for leisure and exercise, but for many in the world, daily long walks (e.g. for collecting water) are necessary for survival. Last term, over 600 of our students went for long walks to raise funds for Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS), to give many refugee children in East Africa the opportunity to make a short walk to school to receive an education.
During the last week of Term 1, our two Primary School campuses came together to not only walk and raise money but to learn about the plight of refugee families and how we can make a difference in their lives (thanks to our friends from ALWS). Our ELC to Year 2 students walked laps of the College Oval (up to 2km) and our Year 3s to Year 6s walked to, and around, the Waite Arboretum (approximately 8km). Year 11 students created special refugee-related activities to do and our friends at St John’s Lutheran Church made each child a small cup of rice for their lunch, to remind them of the meagre meals many refugees must live on. Overall, our two Primary School campuses raised $10,000 for ALWS.
Meanwhile, 60 students from Years 7-12 walked 23km of the Women’s Pioneer Trail (from Hahndorf to Beaumont). These students gained sponsorships for their walk and raised nearly $15,000.
Overall, as a College we have raised nearly $25,000, which is enough for about 960 children to receive an education this year. This is a wonderful gift that we can share with those who have little.
On behalf of ALWS and the College, I would like to thank every member of our community for the donations and support. We are grateful not only for the money but for the empathy and compassion the College community has for this cause - over the past four years we have raised nearly $100,000! The fundraising page is still open if anyone would like to contribute.
Of course, a massive thank you to all the students who gave up time to be involved, sought sponsorships and served others in need - an amazing effort!
Mark Rathjen
College Chaplain
