From pancake tossing to stair walking, to holding lemonade stands and carrying buckets of water - there’s no limit to the imagination and generosity of thousands of Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) students this Easter. Together BCE students were predicted to raise almost $240,000 during Term 1, 2023, in the six weeks of Lent for Caritas’ Project Compassion.
Project Compassion supports many vulnerable communities across the world such as equipping women with drought resistant farming skills and supporting clubs for girls that provide reading and writing education, with this year's campaign theme ‘For Future Generations.’
Students at BCE’s St Agatha’s Primary School Clayfield have ‘stepped up’ their fundraising this year, raising $2000 as part of their Step Up For Project Compassion event, which saw students walk the steep steps at their school.
St Agatha’s Primary School Principal Anne-Marie Maw said her students were set a challenge to beat last year’s step count, with every ‘step’, sponsored by their parents, grandparents, friends, and the broader community.
“They get all the benefits of keeping active and learning how to set a goal and stick to it, while learning the importance of being global citizens who give back to people living in some of our world’s most vulnerable communities,” she said.
Holy Cross School Wooloowin took a different approach with their annual Walk for Water event, carrying buckets of water while walking laps of their school pavilion, as a reminder about the distances children in other countries walk to access safe drinking water.
Meanwhile, pancake tossing was on the menu at Mary Immaculate Primary School Annerley, with Year 6 students selling the delicious breakfast treat on Shrove Tuesday as part of their Project Compassion fundraising event.
Other BCE schools held fish and chip days, made lemonade stands, held bake sales, Easter egg raffles and free dress days.
Holy Cross School students raise funds for project compassion with their annual Walk for Water event.
BCE Head of Catholic Identity Sharon O’Keeffe praised the staff and students' efforts to fundraise.
“At every opportunity, we seek to inspire BCE students to reach their potential so they will make the world a better place,” she said.
“By fundraising for Project Compassion, students foster their sense of responsibility and commitment towards making a positive impact on the world, as well as enhance their future as global citizens who are aware of and address global issues such as poverty and inequality.”
Mary Immaculate Primary School students help make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
St John Vianney’s Primary School Manly raises funds for Project Compassion with a fish and chip day.
St Sebastian Primary School Yeronga students create a lemonade and bake sale stand to raise funds for Project Compassion.
Holy Spirit College Fitzgibbon students raise funds for Project Compassion with volleyball sporting event and free dress day.
All Saints Primary School Albany Creek held an Easter egg raffle to raise funds for Project Compassion, with additional hampers being donated to the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
BCE would like to thank our school communities for their commitment to fundraising for Project Compassion in 2023.
For more information about Project Compassion and to donate click here.