$5k in 40 Hrs!

Friday, 26th June 2026 at 11:18am

Written by Yr 13 Service Council Leaders: Krisha Karippail, Charlotte Dale, Stella Raccuglia.

The 40 Hour Challenge took place last weekend, June 19th-21st, and it saw great success from GBHS. As a school, we collectively raised over $5,568 (and still rising), which skyrocketed past our goal of $3,500, as many students came together to help raise money for this great cause. We had 39 students participate this year, each with different and unique challenges, ranging from 40 dares to 40 hours without sugar.

An amazing example of our wider community coming together to support this fundraising effort was our sold-out bake sale last Friday organised by the Service Council 40 Hour Challenge subgroup led by Krisha Karippail and Charlotte Dale, with support from Ms Nicole Polke. A massive thank you to all the students who purchased a tasty treat - your donations added over $200 more dollars to our total.

An example of our school's participants was the team consisting of Year 12s Safia Alhambra, Juliette Colquhoun, Kara Camit, Molly Mongston, and Charlotte Soland. The five took on the challenge of collectively watching 40 movies in 40 hours, raising over $150 from friends and family donations. The team had an incredible experience and grew closer throughout the journey, as did all the other groups who participated together.

All of the money raised will go to the Solomon Islands to help support people experiencing food shortages. Many families there rely on the local environment for food, but climate change and rising sea levels are making crops less predictable, flooding gardens, and making fishing inconsistent, resulting in thousands of children going hungry. The money the GBHS community raised will help make a huge difference for these families.

There is still time to donate: just head on over to GBHS’ 40 Hour Challenge Fundraising Page!

Thank you to everyone who participated and/or donated. Your support is greatly appreciated and is helping a great cause. Special congratulations to Yr 9 student Evangeline van't Hof, who was our school’s top fundraiser, raising over $1,200!