Last week a group of Year 10 students from St Teresa’s Catholic College supported the cause to raise awareness of the problems of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) in Australia.
For the past three months, these 15-year old’s have participated in a program aimed at fostering a social conscience of a different kind, culminating in participation in the Darkness to Daylight Challenge.
The Darkness to Daylight Challenge is an annual overnight run/walk that aims to raise awareness of, and funds to support services around DFV. Participants can run the full 110km, the distance symbolising the 110 lives lost to DFV each year in Australia.
Founder of the Darkness to Daylight run, Rob Reed, stopped to give the St Teresa’s students words of encouragement as one of only two schools that participate in the overnight run.
The students set their own team goal to run a massive 500kms, which included the four accompanying staff members.
Throughout the night they overcame physical, mental and emotional challenges, supporting each other to smash their target and complete 713kms. Arriving home mid-morning on Thursday were a weary, yet satisfied group of students, each of whom feels like they have contributed in some small way to raising awareness in our community of DFV.
Business Manager, Mark Roberton who participated and ran 92kms, said he couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.
“They are an extraordinary group of young people, who fully rose to the challenge and surpassed all expectations of them,” Mark said.
Each of the 12 students involved had to self-nominate, giving reasons why they wished to be involved. They all had a shared passion for eradicating domestic and family violence in Australia and wanted to help.
Program initiatives at St Teresa’s included physical training sessions in the early hours of the morning around Doonella, and climbing Mt Coolum after school. Students were challenged to develop an awareness of others, and to understand you never know what goes on behind closed doors. They performed Random Acts of Kindness throughout the program and learned more about different types of DFV and learned some of the stories of those who have suffered.
