Dio Students Dream Up Tranquility Garden For Families Of Sick Children

Four Diocesan School for Girls students have spearheaded an ambitious $40,000 fundraising project to create a tranquillity garden at Ronald McDonald House Auckland for sick children and their families.

Zoe Dockery, Victoria Jones, Jessica Choie and Genevieve Fox approached Ronald McDonald House Auckland last August with their idea which they also entered as a BP Community Enterprise Project.

What began as a modest community fundraising initiative has grown into a project that has involved the whole of the all-girls, independent Auckland school and is “bigger and better” than the girls say they ever dreamed would be possible.

When the four students presented their idea to Ronald McDonald House Auckland, including sketches of the garden they hoped to build, the charity embraced the idea of having a peaceful outdoor area where families can take time out from the hospital.

“We thought it would be nice for parents to have somewhere to go and sit and come to terms with everything,” says Genevieve.

The Dio girls kick started fundraising with $500 prize money they won after gaining second place with their BP Community Enterprise Project which challenges students to come up with a capital project that benefits a non-profit community organisation.

When they approached Palmers Gardenworld in Remuera for support and advice on their original garden design, managing director and Dio Old Girl Delma Harrison immediately pledged $1000 to the project as well as the services of Palmers’ landscape designer Dan McKay.

“Like most parents, I’ve had sick children who have been cared for at Ronald McDonald House Auckland in the past and I know what great work they do so I am passionate about fundraising for them,” says Delma.

Palmers in Remuera has now teamed up with five other students at Diocesan who are organising a Family Fun Day being held at the garden centre on Sunday August 2 to raise more funds for the project.

So far almost half of the $40,000 needed for the garden has been raised. As well as the five students who are on the organising committee for the fun day, 40 others from Dio are helping out with the fun day as part of the 20 hours voluntary service they do in Year 12.

Each term, as part of its Giving Focus, Diocesan also chooses a specific charity which the whole school raises money for and $5,700 was raised for the garden project in Term One.

Stalls at the fun day will include a sausage sizzle, design a cupcake, paint and plant a pot, facing painting and chocolate fishing games.

A percentage of garden centre sales from the day will go to the garden project and donated prizes include a night at CityLife Hotel and dinner at Versace, a $500 Mexican grass tree and a $100 landscape consultation.

Work on the garden will start when the $40,000 has been raised – hopefully by this spring.

Landscaper Dan McKay has developed the girls’ original ideas for the garden which will include a koru shaped walkway, seating areas, a feature garden, a hedge with spy holes and stepping stones for younger children, a shaded area and native planting.

If you would like to make a donation towards the tranquillity garden please visit Ronald McDonald House Auckland’s website www.rmhauckland.org.nz or call 09 303 1365.

ENDS

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