Students of St Laurence’s College have raised an estimated $40,000 for charities as part of the school’s 49th annual Walkathon held on Friday 10 August.
More than 1800 students and 200 staff participated in the 15 kilometre walk along the Brisbane River all in the name of charity and community spirit. Funds raised by students will support multiple charities including the Catholic Foundation – Archdiocese of Brisbane, Act for Kids, The Hands of Rescue (THOR) Foundation, Childhood Cancer Support and the Mater Foundation – Mater Little Miracles. Brightly dressed in yellow Walkathon shirts, students made their way along the Brisbane River through West End, over the Story Bridge, through the Botanical Gardens and back across the Goodwill Bridge into South Bank, crossing the finish line at the College’s South Brisbane Campus.
Former student of the College Dr Barry Kirby AO was there to kick off the event, firing the gun at the starting line. As Founder of THOR Foundation, a charity which works to reduce maternal mortality and achieve safe motherhood for women in Papua New Guinea, Kirby was pleased to be a part of the action on the day. “The school community has shown great support for THOR and these other fantastic charities, so I’m really grateful and happy to be here today,” he said.
Principal Mr Chris Leadbetter said the annual Walkathon provides an excellent opportunity for Lauries students to build ties with the local community and raise important funds for those in need. “Teaching our students to give back to the community is an important part of the Lauries journey,” he said. “The boys have been busy fundraising in the months leading up to the event. It’s great to see their enthusiasm and commitment to such a worthwhile cause.”
The 15.5 kilometre walk measures just more than 19,000 steps and takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete. St Laurence’s College is an all-boys Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition for Years 5 to 12 and is situated in South Brisbane.
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