WHEN Crookwell Rotary Club announced recently that its Trivia Night was aimed at raising funds for the purchase of another Shelter Box for disaster victims, an unexpected, unsolicited and very welcome cheque arrived in the mail.
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It was for $470 (nearly half the cost of a Shelter Box) – and it came courtesy of a group of students from the Laggan Public School.
Usually, the Rotary Club purchases a Shelter Box towards the end of its financial year from accumulated funds.
This year, however, it made the purchase early in the year to help the victims of the Fiji hurricane, which left hundreds of families homeless.
The contribution from the Laggan pupils means that the Club will be able to again meet its aim of providing at least one Shelter Box a year – its contribution to Rotary International’s world wide project.
So how did this all come about?
Well, School Principal Laura Holt (currently on leave) devised an exercise for this group of 8 to 12 year olds in which they had to provide an emergency shelter for themselves from any material they could find.
While the participants enjoyed the challenge, the project must have brought home to them the problems facing families suddenly deprived of shelter (and many times drinking water and food) at times of emergencies such as hurricane, earthquakes, volcanoes etc.
As one of the would-be shelter builders admitted somewhat ruefully, her shelter of bark, twigs, leaves etc. collapsed on her as soon as she crawled in.
Subsequently, this little group combined their skills, energy and imagination to fund raising, mostly at the school’s Spring Fair.
They auctioned their own art work, cooked cakes, sold chocolates, ran a hoopla table and darts – ran their own sideshows in fact.
They found themselves then with the magnificent sum of $470.
What to do with this was the next question.
A number of suggestions came forward – including one that the money could go to help provide help for those in deep trouble because of a natural disaster – in fact, a Shelter Box.
And this was the unanimous choice!
On Thursday last, Rotary President Mike Walsh happily made his way to the Laggan School to meet and thank this lively group who have shown such initiative and an appreciation of the problems which face those rendered suddenly homeless.
Mike was able to provide additional information for the young students to fully appreciate the big part Shelter Boxers play in helping disaster victims.
He told them that in the 16 years that the Rotary Shelter Boxes had been available, they have been sent to 260 disasters in more than 90 countries.
Because of this experience, the equipment contained in the Shelter Boxes has evolved so that they can supply the immediate needs of those affected.
In the Fiji hurricane disaster, the Shelter Boxes helped out over 1700 families.
And as Mike told the children, because if its experiences Rotary had added other essential items – such as a specially designed tent for cold climate needs, which can be fitted with a wood-burning stove.
There is also a special Shelter Kit to help repair a damaged family home or build an emergency shelter, and a solar light that can help safety and security even though power supplies have been interrupted.
Rotary President Mike was delighted with the response from this animated and interested little group – and at the end of his visit happily accepted an invitation to attend an afternoon tea the children will provide.
