By Marcus Uhe
Cranbourne East Secondary College students are raising money for a range of charities as part of their VCAL students’ walkathon project.
On Thursday 6 October the participating students will descend on the nearby Hunt Club Oval for four hours of exercise, music and good vibes at the culmination of their community project.
The students have been arranged into small groups across the cohort and were told to select a local charitable organisation based on their studies earlier in the year.
GoFundMe pages have been established for members of the community to contribute to their endeavours.
Among the chosen organisations were Family Violence and Housing Support Service WAYSS, Solider On, the Cranbourne Food Truck and Ronald McDonald House.
“Kids in term two learn about community issues,” VCAL teacher Shaun Thomas said.
“This year we focused on cost of living and everything that’s going on in the world, and how it affects homelessness, domestic violence, drug use, etc.
“Each group had to write a letter to the council to get facilities donated for the day.
“They had to write a letter to the principal seeking support for the barbecue that’s going to be run for kids to eat. They had to liaise with the organisation that they were working with to get approval to fundraise for them, as well as run a social media campaign.”
The Ronald McDonald House carried a particular significance to the cohort following the loss of a classmate in 2021 who had spent time at the facility during his battle with Leukaemia.
One person from the group must be running at all times for the duration of the walk and the campaign must be supported with information fliers on their chosen charity and social media posts.
A number of local businesses and organisations have thrown their support behind the concept, including the City of Casey, who donated the use of the Hunt Club and facilities, and local businesses such as Brians Gourmet Meats in Lyndhurst who have contributed supplies for the barbecue.
While students will not be graded on their financial contribution or distance covered in the walk, prizes are on offer for milestones of distance and money raised.
Mr Thomas said the competitive spirit is alive and well amongst the students.
“My kids love a challenge and a bit of banter but there’s also plenty of healthy encouragement to push each other to perform better and raise as much as they can.
“There’s no set distance component because it’s the first time we’re doing it, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s more about the kids getting an idea of a sense of accomplishment for doing something for someone other than themselves or a charitable cause.
“If they walk one kilometre but manage to raise $50, and four other people do the same, that’s $250 and $250 that the charities didn’t have beforehand. It’s just about, at VCAL we really try and create community–minded kids to think a little bit more about others and not themselves.”
