By Rachel Curry
Staff and students at Kolbe Catholic College continue to put their motto of Courage, Faith, Excellence into action.
The Rockingham secondary school recently held two successful community events – the first to support women with cancer and the second to raise money for poverty-stricken villages in Indonesia.
Held on 1 April, the Chop for Cancer involved an incredible display of courage as 24 students cut off 20cm of their hair to be donated to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organisation which makes wigs for women battling cancer.
College Captain Erin McNulty said the idea for the event came from the Year 12 Student Leaders themselves, who wanted to make a difference to people faced with a dreaded diagnosis.
“So many people in our community and in our school have been affected by cancer and we wished to create an event in which we could help them feel good about themselves and how they look,” she said.
“There have been many female staff at our school who have battled cancer, with some losing their hair. No matter who you are, you have a connection to someone who has battled cancer, may it be a friend or relative or a friend of a friend.”
Erin said she was very pleased that 24 students participated because, with about eight donations needed to make a wig, they would be able to supply enough hair to help three women with cancer.
She added it was a huge sacrifice by the girls, some of whom had been growing their hair for their whole lives, and admitted the day of the chop was nerve-wracking.
“We all felt nervous and worried about how we would look, and whether or not we would suit short hair. To some, this may appear vain, but your hair is part of your identity and who you are,” she said.
“We voluntarily made the cut, but those who lose their hair to cancer do not have a choice. Those who battle cancer have to deal with many challenges and losing their hair is only one of them.
“We hope our donation is able to help alleviate even one of their challenges.”
The group also wanted to raise awareness from the event, and it appears they succeeded greatly, with other students approaching them about how they, too, could donate their hair.
Kolbe Catholic College is also tackling problems further from home, after holding a Quiz Night which raised about $11,000 to help poor communities on the small island of Flores in Indonesia.
Attended by about 320 people, the Quiz Night had a joyful atmosphere and included a raffle, silent auction and quirky activities such as a push-up competition and Gangnam-style dancing.
It is part of the build-up to the school’s annual trip to Flores, when a group of staff and students will live “like locals” in the villages, making personal connections and seeing first-hand the difficulties they face.
Teacher Pat McNulty said the first trip to Flores went ahead last year and was driven by Christian Service Learning Co-ordinator Adam Iriks.
“It came from a desire to do something for a third-world community,” he said.
“For the village, it does two things. We raise about $15,000 each time we go and that goes straight to building classrooms or supplying fresh water for the villages.
“We also immerse ourselves in the villages. We bring sports equipment and frisbees and hopefully bring a bit of fun to the younger students there.”
Mr McNulty added that the trip was an eye-opening experience for the Kolbe Catholic College students, who kept a journal of their experiences and discussed each day’s events before they went to bed.
“For our kids, they learn a lot through it. They’re obviously taken out of their comfort zone to a third-world community with no technology, basic food and very basic accommodation,” he said.
“They grow through that and they grow through talking with the villagers, as much as they can with the language barrier. It brings an awareness of others and develops an appreciation for the life they have back here.”
This year’s trip will take place in July. For more information about Kolbe Catholic College’s initiatives, visit www.kolbe.wa.edu.au or call 08 9592 1500.