1 November 2018

On Tuesday 23 October, the students of Our Lady Help of Christians School in Eltham held their annual walkathon to raise funds to support Catholic Mission in World Mission Month. In 2018 the focus for Catholic Mission is ‘Healing a nation through education’ with the aim to support students in Myanmar to have access to quality education.

The children were encouraged to wear crazy socks to remind them that they want to ‘sock it to poverty’. The Prep – Year 2 children walked a minimum of 4 km, the Year 3–4s walked a minimum of 7 km and the Year 5–6s walked a minimum of 10 km. Many of the children walked much further than expected, with up to 14 km recorded.

Their walk took them along the beautiful Diamond Creek Trail and finished at Eltham Central Park where the children completed laps of the oval to get up to, and beyond, their goal distance. Many parents joined in too.

At the end of their walk, the Parents and Friends of Our Lady’s supplied fruit and juice for the children to enjoy. Meanwhile, back at school, other parents were helping to cook sausages for the special lunch the children enjoyed after their walk.

The day concluded with a liturgy in which the children learned about how they could make a difference for the children in Myanmar.

Donations from sponsorships are still coming in following the completion of the walkathon and it is anticipated that the school will raise over $4,000 to support Catholic Mission’s work in Myanmar.