A Trek for Hidden Treasure
UgandaDander 2016
What was the stream of blue and white which was marching its way along the coastal path of Bangor? Why were there faint yells of delight and groans of exhaustion heard above the waves of the North Channel? It must be the second rendition of the Uganda Dander which commenced in 2015! The swarm of Glenlola gals met at Bangor First Presbyterian Church on the morning of the 22 June. The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
From the church, the bevy of Year 8s, 9s, 10s and 11s dandered down the Main Street of Bangor and crossed the road (safely, I might add), to get to the other side! The troop of tired teens trekked until their legs quaked with weariness and their hearts beat with happiness, to reach Crawfordsburn Country Park! After a well-deserved break, we made our way back to McKee Clock in Bangor and smiled at our achievement. This was all for Charlene’s Project…
As many may know, Charlene is the late sister of an RS teacher here in Glenlola, Mr Barr. He holds the charity close to his heart and has shared the cause with all of us.
Charlene’s Project was created by Charlene Barr in hope of giving children in Uganda the chance of an education and a future. She started the project in 2009 when her health began to fail and she was unable to go to school. She decided that if she couldn’t go, children in Uganda should have the opportunity to. She sadly passed away before witnessing the opening of Hidden Treasure, the school she had dreamed of.
Now her vision lives on in two primary schools, Hidden Treasure and Kahara Primary School based in Western Uganda.
Charlene’s Project is a wonderful charity for Glenlola to support because we, as a school, use her as a positive role model to teach us that dreams come true, but it all depends on our efforts.
Uganda Dander is definitely our favourite fundraiser event of the year! It’s a great way for all of us to get together and be active while raising money for a good cause. Though it was tiring, it was upbeat, lively and filled with joy!
When asked, Ellie McKibbin, Year 8, said, “It was good fun!” Mackenzie Weir, Year 9, exclaimed, “It was fun to get out of school and raise money for a good cause.” Leah Foster, Year 10, told us, “It was a fun way to exercise.” Éireann Gaffney, Year 11, stated, “It was a great way to raise money for charity and it was great fun.”
We really encourage you all to check Charlene’s Project out in more detail, because it is an admirable cause and worthy of even more sponsors! The website is www.charlenesproject.org – so take a look and see what you can do for the children of Uganda.
Alice Hawthorne 10A and Emma Wilson 10A
