Getting in character for Make-A-Wish

A shared plan to follow a career path in health care has inspired two Mount Gambier High School students to run a school community fundraiser as part of their Society and Culture course.

Year 12 students Cooper Sneddon and Chelsea Owen combined to create a school-wide fundraiser for make-A-Wish Foundation.

“We wanted to focus on children and their right to health care, and this linked nicely to what we are interested in as we both want to work in the health industry,” Chelsea said.

Year 12 Society and Culture Teacher Kathryn Sutton was impressed with the efforts of both students who controlled the process from go to whoa.

“Chelsea and Cooper went above and beyond to create a fantastic activity for our students to participate in,” Ms Sutton said.

The project was based around the theme ‘Express yourself past the diagnosis’ and the end product was a dress up day with a lunch time catwalk parade as a means to generate donations and in the end, the day added $150 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation coffers.

“We were required to collaborate with a range of stakeholders, manage our time well and communicate effectively with a range of people,” Chelsea said. “We approached local businesses to receive donations or prizes for the catwalk.”

Seven hundred dollars in prizes were kindly donated by Kaboom Entertainment, Oatmill Cinema, Boost Juice, 25 Acres, Active8, The Spot and Gambier City Pharmacy with awards handed out for best overall outfit, best catwalk and best dressed.

The project focussed on raising awareness, as well as the fundraising component, which required a gold coin donation to be part of the lunch time catwalk.

“We held year level assemblies and talked to the students about children with cancer and how it effects more than just the child,” Cooper said.

Both staff and students embraced the dress up opportunity where the school population was encouraged to dress to the theme ‘Be Yourself or Something that you Love’.

“It was fantastic to see the effort everyone went to dress up, with a variety of costumes and outfits on show,” Chelsea said.

“Both students thrived on the opportunity to gain a range of real-life skills as part of their Society and Culture classes.

“Organising the fundraising event gave us the opportunity to interact with the local community and share with staff and students from all year levels about our passion for this charity and cause,” Cooper said.