On Friday 8 December 2023, four members of the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise (RCCS) travelled to Canberra Grammar School at Red Hill to support the provision of a barbeque lunch for Canberra Grammar students and their charges - students with disability participating in a camp as part of the Sony Foundation’s Children’s Holiday Camp Program.
The school camp program provides a much-needed break for parents and carers while simultaneously giving the children an incredible holiday, and the Canberra Grammar teenage carers an eye-opening experience. The Camp is provided at no cost to the families. During the camp, the student companions provide 24-hour care to the children. Feeding, bathing, entertaining and tending to their every need. Just prior to the barbeque, participants had been sailing the waters of Lake Burley Griffin.
There were plenty of hungry participants as the RCCS team cooked up 144 sausages and dozens of onions – at the end of the lunch, there were only 12 left in the tray which surely would have disappeared during the afternoon!
Attending the barbeque lunch were 17 children with disabilities, 35 Canberra Grammar School (CGS) student carers and around 12 CGS staff.
Ray, Bob, Kim and Greg were all impressed with the way that CGS was so supportive of this type of activity – and it was the second activity in as many months – CGS were supporters and participants in our DreamCricket Gala Day in November.
The manner in which the camp was conducted and the way in which the CGS students cared for their charges was heartwarmingly remarkable.