Chanel College students, teachers and parents raised $1500 for Solomon Islands storm victims after walking and running charity laps - some completing almost 70 kilometres in distance - over a 24-hour period at the weekend.
Chanel College head of English Claire Hills said student members of Young Vinnies, the junior group of the St Vincent De Paul Society, had been led on the 24-hour charity drive by college head girl Katie Craig after accepting the Caritas Challenge, which is an annual fund-raising event aimed at schools and youth groups to build solidarity with people living through poverty or injustice.
Caritas challenges young people to undertake an activity "that brings them closer to the living conditions of those less fortunate" and participants seek sponsorship for taking up and surviving the challenge.
Participants can either engage in 24 hours of physical activity like running or cycling, build and sleep overnight in a cardboard shelter, work in shifts over 24 hours, or deny themselves food or access to technology for 24 hours.
Mrs Hill said Chanel College students took the Caritas Challenge "for many reasons", joining Catholic schools from all over New Zealand and running a fundraising event for people of the Solomon Islands. "'They are the third largest Pacific Island country, but the poorest. They are still recovering from the civil unrest that started 15 years ago. They need more schools, better hospitals and more roads. On top of that they have suffered an earthquake, a cyclone and the worst floods in 28 years all in the last week."
