Grilling was the order of the day when Hennessy Catholic College joined forces with IGA stores in Grenfell, Cootamundra, Boorowa , Harden and Young to run fundraising barbecues on the weekend of March 22.

A total of $2287 was raised.

The 33 students from across these five towns who attend Hennessy in Young, together with three parents, four teachers and the local parish priest, are travelling to Cambodia in July to build housing for the underprivileged in a village near Siem Reap.

They will then travel to Phnom Penh in the south to visit a Sisters of Mercy orphanage.

The students need to raise funds to pay for the materials to build the house. 

Nicole Morton, Director of Communities and long-standing teacher at Hennessy Catholic College, is excited and overwhelmed by the commitment of the 33 students. 

“Our original fundraising goal was about $5500, which will see enough to pay for the materials to build a house and make a good donation to the orphanage,” she said.

“However, the students are so inspired that they have chosen a fundraising goal of $10,000, and hope to build two houses.” She said.

“We have been fortunate that there is a connection in each town to the local IGA stores. The IGA stores in every town where the students are from have offered assistance with meat, bread and other incidentals, so that all money raised goes directly to this project,” Mrs Morton said. “These stores have been very generous in kick starting our fundraising”

Baker’s Delight generously donated bread and Ian Brodderick assisted with meat at some of the locations.

The students are planning a number of other fundraising initiatives including a monster raffle which they are currently collecting prize donations from the local communities, a high tea and fashion parade, a movie night at the local cinema  and a dinner. 

We would all like to thank those in the local community, who are generously assisting with this fundraising.