A Giveathon to remember

A celebration so spectacular, even the neighbours couldn't resist getting involved...

In the past, Giveathon Day has run concurrently with All Saints Foundation Day.

On 16 September 2021, the annual event began a new chapter on its own.

School Chaplain and Giveathon coordinator Mother Ann McGuinness says the assembly was a terrific culmination of a year-long fundraising effort by the All Saints community.

“It was so wonderful to see the outcome of a year’s worth of planning,” says Mother Ann.

“The Saints Outreach Service committee, the students, the staff; everyone came together beautifully and got into the Giveathon spirit.”

All Saints revisited ‘the story of Giveathon’ with nods to past Guinness World Record titles including 2012’s human star and the human conveyor belt in 2005.

More than $50,000 was raised for nine charities nominated by representatives from all three sub-schools.

In a stunning turn of events, Headmaster Patrick Wallas was kidnapped from the field by a group of Year 1’s fearsome pirates who held the Giveathon money to ransom.

The whole school then worked together to dance Mr Wallas free from the ‘dungeons’ and reclaim the Giveathon treasure.

But not before a few neighbours phoned in.

Apparently, some residents from homes surrounding All Saints were a little perplexed by the faint cries of a trapped Englishman they could hear floating from All Saints grounds.

Thank goodness we have such watchful friends nearby. The pirates never stood a chance!

In the right spirit

The year 2020 was a challenging one. It was a year where many people around the world were so severely impacted by the pandemic that they could scarcely manage to take care of their own families, let alone bear the plights of others. However, this year we are so fortunate to see more recovery and the spirit of human resilience shining through. It is in this same spirit that All Saints proudly launches its Giveathon initiative for 2021.

Behind the theme

Tying in with our overarching 2021 school theme of Curiosity, the Giveathon theme asked: What's your story? Through their various fundraising initiatives, students were encouraged to spark meaningful conversations with others that were inspired by this question. After all, knowing and understanding are the first steps towards driving action and change.

The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital is one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world. Their vital work includes treating, rehabilitating, and releasing sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife. In 2020 there were almost 13,800 animals admitted to the hospital in need of care. Of these native animals, over 600 were Koalas. This service is provided free of charge to the community, relying on government funding and donations from the public.

HAVAFEED currently provides food relief for Gold Coast residents experiencing poverty, suffering, distress, misfortune and helplessness, regardless of sex, race, ethnic background, religion, political beliefs or marital status.

The Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) Early Childhood Literacy, Numeracy and Awareness Programs are internally developed curricula with a strong PNG focus developed for children whose exposure to books and libraries has been limited. BbP libraries and trained teacher-librarians provide free-of-charge literacy/numeracy support to children aged between 4 and 6 years.

Joy for All Minds provides community activities as a platform to increase social interaction for the disabled, marginalised, disadvantaged, Indigenous, students and underachieving students. It also exists to build confidence, trust and self-esteem in enabling participants to reach their full potential and improve understanding in cultural awareness and develop respect across diverse cultures.

The Brainchild Foundation is a national, not-for-profit charity that provides support to the families of Australian children diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumours. They are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of affected families through financial, emotional and educational support and to strive for a cure for future generations.

The MND and Me Foundation supports individuals and their families living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in Queensland. The Foundation delivers support programs and funds research into treatments and a cure for MND.

Batyr works in schools, universities and workplaces aiming to remove the stigma around mental health and engage, educate and empower. Their workshops encourage young people to share their stories of mental ill health.

The Sanctuary: Women, Children & Pets Refuge is a place of love and community that promotes the empowerment of women and children to escape domestic violence.

The mission of the Albinism Society of South Africa is to educate and provide user-friendly information on albinism to the community. Their goal is to alleviate trauma for sufferers and society by dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding this condition.