Canobolas High School was a sea of red last week, as the school participated in Ronald McDonald House’s recent fundraising event. Staff and students were asked to bring along a gold coin donation for the cause.

The ‘Wear Red Day’ was an initiative of the Principal of Denison College, Ken Barwick who launched the event in schools three years ago. It was held throughout the region and this year with the RHM team thrilled to announce the event has tripled in size, as 60 schools and businesses in the region registering.

Canobolas High School SRC Coordinator, Lalitha Plumb said, “We normally participate in RMH fundraisers every year, though this year when we got the call from Ronald McDonald House, with everything that is going on. Especially with COVID, they’ve needed a lot extra support with everything that’s happening, and we were only too happy to get involved, we thought we would really dig deep and give a helping hand.

We’ve raised quite a bit so far which is great to see and this is the first fundraiser we have participated in since COVID began so both the kids and the staff have really got behind it and had fun.”

RMHC Orange Executive Officer Rebecca Walsh explained, “‘Wear Red Day’ is of particular importance to us here at RMH Orange as we have had to cancel all our other major fundraising events including our annual ball in September, due to COVID 19.

We are so appreciative of the support that our community across the Central West continues to provide RMHC Orange.  We have been absolutely delighted to see how many businesses and schools are involved in wear Red Day each year, and how it continues to grow far beyond our expectations.

To the businesses, schools, families and individuals who participated and made this year’s event and even greater success.  Thank you. Thank you from us here at RMHC Orange and from the families who stay with us.

To date RMH Orange has provided free accommodation and other support services for 733 families for a total of 5817 nights.

More than half those accommodation nights have been for families who have come to Orange as their child or adolescent is experiencing a mental health crisis requiring urgent treatment in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMS) unit in Orange Hospital.

 These families often need to stay for several weeks or even months during treatment and being close to their child in hospital helps ease the burden on families.”

All funds raised through the Wear Red Day initiative will remain in Orange to directly support families who travel to Orange from an area that takes in 86 per cent of the state, or five health districts.

Rebecca added, “In the particularly difficult year for all, it has been so heart-warming to see the success of this event and for the amazing generosity of our community.”

Well done Canobolas High!