FUN RUN: Kickstarting the FUNdraising Efforts for 2026

Written by Mrs Amanda Elzaibak (Parents and Friends President)

23 March 2026

One of the largest fundraisers that the Parents and Friends has undertaken in the past few years took place this week, as 150 students, parents, and staff made their way around a 1km Fun Run Course. They were cheered on (and sprayed with water) by family, friends, and staff. We were blessed with amazing weather, and the day was lots of fun.

Over $16,000 was raised through this event, getting us halfway to our target of $30,000 for a new bike shed at the end of the path from Mickleham Road. An astounding $12,000 of this was raised by our students and their families through donations on the Fundraising Page, eclipsing the $5,000 raised the last time we held the Fun Run in 2024.

A further $500 was donated by local businesses, and we are incredibly grateful to those people and organisations, including Road Gear, Campbellfield, Inspire Physio Care, Greenvale and Cragieburn, RPA Studios Ltd, and Marginfy, Greenvale, Dairy Queen Catering and Cafe, Glenroy.

Furthermore, an additional $500 was contributed by craft stallholders, many of whom were student business entrepreneurs. Our raffle, offering great prizes donated by local organisations, added a further $500, while the sale of sausages, drinks, face painting, and the petting zoo added $2,500 to the outcome.

Each year, the Parents and Friends focus on various projects as discussed with the Principal. Past projects have included the original bike shed next to Providence Gate, the Coffee/Food Van, the Supply and Installation of Playground Equipment, a Gym Scoreboard and Dividing Curtain, new Fridges and Freezers for the CPA, new BBQ Facilities, additional Trees for the school grounds, Table Tennis and Basketball Equipment, and more.

In total, Parents and Friends Fundraising and our families have contributed over $200,000 in projects. Add to this the Arts and now Sports Scholarships, and that figure jumps close to $250,000.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our incredible committee and staff members, who meet twice a term, along with smaller event sub-committee meetings throughout the year. Their willingness to give up their time and energy for our school community is truly something special.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors!

This year, as President, I feel incredibly proud of the goals we’ve set and the amazing group of parents who support the work we do. It’s a privilege to witness firsthand the positive difference the P&F makes for our school and our students.

I first became involved in the P&F because I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way and help create a more inclusive, fun, and community-focused feel for families within our school. I began my journey on the committee as Volunteer Coordinator, a role I truly loved as it gave me the opportunity to connect with so many members of our community while supporting improvements to the programs and equipment available to our students. What I didn’t expect was how personally rewarding it would be, meeting wonderful parents and teachers and forming friendships across different year levels.

Across the rest of this year, apart from the ever-popular Mother’s and Father’s Day events and continuing to offer Pre-Loved Uniform Sales, we have a few more exciting initiatives to share:

Term Two Pie Drive: Freshly Baked Family Pie Varieties will be available from Tony’s Pies in Essendon, delivered to the school in the second last week of term, for you to take home, freeze, and enjoy across the winter.

Term Four Mega Raffle: with the chance of almost $20,000 in prizes on offer. More than that, there will be at least 20 different prizes that people can win. We invite local and family businesses to be a part of this by donating a prize (suggested value anywhere between $50 and $2000). We are looking for anything from gym memberships, to business services, grocery and petrol vouchers, to restaurant dinners and hotel packages.

If you think you have something you can offer, you can get your business name shared with our community through this event. What’s offered doesn’t even need to be specifically from your business, but just donated by the business. Please let us know if you have something in mind. A list of the current committee can be found at the P&F Page on our School Website. All members are happy to discuss ideas and welcome involvement in events, raffles, and fundraising initiatives. We are also hoping to finish the year off with a larger, community focussed Christmas Carols Service on Saturday 28 November. It will be at this event that the Mega Raffle is drawn and we are hoping to establish an annual event with food/drink vendors, Christmas crafts and a great Aitken atmosphere.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far this year and in the past. We look forward to involving even more families in 2026 and beyond!