The Year That Was

Ignatius Park College students had their heads shorn in March to raise funds for cancer research as part of World’s Greatest Shave. Around 60 students signed up for the shave, with some staff also brave enough to shave in front of an eager audience. The ‘Shave’ encourages people of all ages to shave, colour, or wax the hair on their head, chest or face – supported all the way by proud family, friends, colleagues and classmates. The World’s Greatest Shave is more than just a fun way for the boys to engage with fundraising for a great cause. Many of our students and staff have been personally affected by cancer. The shave allows our students to do something positive to ‘fight back’ against cancer. This year, we raised over $18,300. Today, blood cancer is one of the top four most frequently diagnosed cancers and is one of the leading causes of death in Australia. More than 110,000 Aussies are living with the disease right now. The money raised by the World Greatest Shave goes directly to the Leukemia Foundation whose mission is to stand with every Australian to cure and conquer every type of blood cancer. The World’s Greatest Shave began in 1998 as a fun way to raise much needed funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. Now in its 22nd year, over 2 million Australians have taken part, with an estimated 37,500 kilograms of hair removed! The Shave set a new goal this year - Zero Lives Lost to Blood Cancer by 2035.

Gian Guerra | Cultural Coordinator

As part of the EREBB (Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders) initiative, Year 10 boys were invited to connect and share with EREA brother schools. Due to COVID-19 limitations, we are only able to exchange with St Brendan’s College Yeppoon this year. The intent of the school exchange is to give Year 10 students an experience of the perspective of ‘the other’. It is a realistic, beginning-level exchange that explicitly builds confidence to enable students to engage in other immersive experiences. It allows for the sharing ideas between schools and further builds the understanding of the larger Edmund Rice Network.

Ignatius Park College boys involved were: Reece Foley – Baillie Max Gough – Baillie Flynn Mintern – Carew Jacob Fowler – Carew Daniel Gregory – Reid Taj Petersen – Reid Riley Masters – Putney We thank these boys for being outstanding role models for the college, along with teacher Drew Thompson and Michael Parker for accompanying the boys. We are also very grateful to St Brendans College for hosting and taking us on tours of the local area with their host brothers and staff. The exchange culminated with the group going together to Magnetic Island to do the Forts Walk together and share a day of activities in our island paradise. Greg Christ | Identity and Mission Coordinator - Liberating Education