Red and white was the first thing you could see walking into the hall where the final meeting of the Junior Red Cross was being held at the Tea Gardens Public School, on Wednesday November 14. Starting out with a small group of 14 students at the beginning of the year the Junior Red Cross has grown over the twelve months to 75 students; over one third of the school.
“People heard about it and all the fun stuff we were doing,” Megan Markham said.
Supported by the local Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Red Cross group and the Hunter Red Cross, the group is led by Carol Andrews and Karen Markham.
“The students choose to join the group and help out, it’s all voluntary.
“You don’t get anything physical from the group; you get rewarded by helping the people that we do,” Carol Andrews said.
Over the year the Junior Red Cross has helped with drought relief, visited the Myall Dolphins group and involved the whole school in donating money to the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Surf Lifesaving branch during the Year of the Lifesaver.
Students joined the Junior Red Cross because they wanted to help.
“We thought it would be fun and we like to help people out,” Maddy Johnston said.
To help students at St Josephs School in Peak Hill and Boggabri School who are in a drought stricken area near Dubbo, NSW, money was raised to put together pencil cases.
Tissues, rubbers, glue sticks and pencils were purchased with the money as well being as sponsored by Solo prices in Hawks Nest.
“We filled the cases and then sent them away to the schools,” Kaitlin McCarthy said.
Students have since had a wonderful response thanking them from St Joseph’s in Peak Hill.
A certificate of appreciation was presented to Tea Gardens Public School by Hunter Red Cross youth worker Megan Prentice, for their participation in the drought relief project.
The Myall Dolphins are another group who have been supported by the Junior Red Cross members.
“We went and entertained the Myall Dolphins, we made cookies for them, taught them card games, sent face washes and soaps and entertained them with dances,” Tayla Fennel said.
The group have also raise $1000 for the surf lifesaving through selling chocolate spiders and holding out of uniform days at the school.
A breakfast club was established at the school by the Red Cross group and supported by seniors of the Junior Red Cross who prepare the hall with tables and breakfast before helping other students and cleaning up afterwards.
For 20c students can get a breakfast of cereal, toast and juice at the Breakfast Club on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“We need to thank all the people who have donated to the group through out the year; we are looking forward to working with them next year,” Carol Andrews said.
The general consensus from all the students about the Junior Red Cross was that it was “cool, fun and awesome.”
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