It was truly a special moment in the history of Marymede Catholic College on Thursday November 12 as College Principal Mr. Kenny along with 2016 College Captains Adrian and Betsey, and 2015 Primary School Leaders Jarrod and Nandana presented Mr. Wileman from St. Vincent De Paul Society with a cheque for $10,000 – a result of the funds raised from Marymede Day 2015.
The story behind this fundraising campaign starts months ago, with the College deciding to make Marymede Day 2015 a ‘Mission-Action’ day – an opportunity for all students to get together and share in something truly special by setting themselves a goal of raising $10,000 in just one day. Head of Faith & Mission P-12 Ms. Judeline Wadhwani looks back on the decision – “We believed $ 10,000 was an achievable target for our first year of Mission-Action. We wanted to get the community’s confidence in achieving a realistic target. St Vincent de Paul is a well-loved and respected Catholic charity: internationally, nationally and locally. We also liked the fact that we work so closely with the Mernda Conference of Vinnies and decided to support it.”
And so the hard work began – with each Guild deciding upon different experiences which would be available for students to take part in on the day. The majority of the funds were raised through ticket sales which could be used by students to enjoy activities such as the FIFA Competition, Photo Booth, Sporting Challenge, Face and Nail Painting and of course a number of different food stalls which are always popular at the College!
“The manner in which Mission-Action was embraced by students and staff alike was very rewarding to me. As the weeks and days drew near, the excitement was palpable and there was a great sense of anticipation about what the day would bring.” Ms. Wadhwani
“It was great to see so much student involvement throughout the campaign and to see our students working together. The strong sense of communication really helped to ensure the campaign would be a success.” Ms. Andrea Zappulla – Head of Chanel Guild and Secondary School Teacher.
It was clear by the end of the afternoon, that Marymede Day 2015 was a huge success. Students truly embraced the opportunity to celebrate the occasion and made the most of the 3 hour block in which the activities occurred. However the final result of fundraising would not be known for several days whilst counting took place.
“I was so emotional at the moment the $10,000 was announced, it is so humbling to know I was part of a great community coming together to make such a big difference.” Ms Melinda Muir – Head of Faith & Mission (Primary)
“I think the best thing about achieving our target of $10 000 was that the students really didn’t believe they could do it. To see their response upon hearing what was raised, gave the students a real sense of pride in being able to help others.” Ms Simone McGill - Youth Ministry Co-ordinator and Chisholm Guild Tutor.
With the final tally announced, and our goal of $10,000 reached, students gathered at the final Secondary School assembly for 2015 to hand over the cheque and reflect on the great achievement. We’d like to thank all members of the Marymede Community for their support and look forward to next years campaign – with a view to raising $16,000 in ‘16!
Cheque for $10,000 presented to St. Vincent De Paul Society
The Cupcake Stall at Marymede Day 2015
Students embrace Mission-Action