Taking part in the fundraiser increased students’ empathy and gratitude.
The Derinya Student Voice Team with teachers Michael Debenham, left, and Stuart Charles, bottom right.
Wheelchairs for Kids is a not-for-profit organisation making a difference in the lives of mobility-impaired children and their families around the world. Michael Debenham, a Grade 5 teacher at Derinya Primary School, speaks to Sarah Halfpenny about its record-breaking ‘wheel-a-thon’ fundraiser for the charity.
What inspired Derinya Primary School to get involved in this charitable cause?
At the start of the year we had the Wheelchairs for Kids charity and the Frankston High School Interact team come and make a presentation to our Student Voice Team members at Derinya. We also happened to be getting a new oval on the Term 3 holidays and thought it was the perfect opportunity to support a wonderful cause and celebrate the opening of our oval after it was resurfaced.
Derinya raised an impressive $22,000. What were the strategies and activities used to achieve such a successful outcome?
Early promotion and building excitement among the staff and students was the key. Once we had the staff and students on board, it was all about relaying the message to family and friends. The event itself was a great success and we were incredibly lucky with the weather. Wheelchairs for Kids brought 40 wheelchairs to the school and set up the course on the new oval. While it wasn’t a race, each grade had an allocated time slot to head down to the oval and test out the wheelchairs on the course. It was awesome to see so many students with smiles on their faces enjoying themselves.
How many wheelchairs will be purchased with the money raised?
The generous Derinya community raised enough to send 85 specialised wheelchairs to children in need across the globe, giving them an improved quality of life.
Tell us about the students’ involvement in the fundraising efforts and the lessons they learned.
The students spread the word with family and friends. All the grades had specific QR codes that were distributed and sent home. The kids in Grade 2MP led all the classes with $1539 raised. The Student Voice Team played a big role in pumping up the event and going around to all the grades with reminders and information prior to the event.
What impact do you believe this fundraiser and the involvement of the Derinya community had on the students and the school as a whole?
This fundraiser had a huge impact on Derinya students, staff and the whole community. It has taught the students the importance of empathy and gratitude. The event itself broke a national fundraising record for the Wheelchairs for Kids organisation, so a fair bit of exposure for the charity was generated throughout the community. This event was a great opportunity for our student leaders to step up and get involved. Be sure to include them as much as possible. It’s events like this where you see how kind and generous the school community is. Go Derinya!
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