2003-2001 Initiatives

Daffodil Day - 2003

Thank you and congratulations to all the Golden Key members who volunteered for Daffodil Day on Friday, 22nd August. For the past few years, Golden Key has been involved in fundraising for the Cancer Council, and each year proves to be more successful than the last. What an encouragement to see so many students willing to devote their time and energy for the wonderful cause of seeking a cure for the many types of cancer that exist today!

Starting early at 7am, we set up a stall in the foyer of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Volunteers soon wandered through the wards, the streets, and even the uni campus itself. Daffodils, bears, pins, ribbons, pens and footballs (particularly bears) went quickly, and Cancer Council staff had to keep running delivers to the RPA.

Our city was splashed in blue and yellow as a record of 1545 volunteers worked together to bring hope for a cancer free future. The Sydney Uni Golden Key chapter contributed over 30 volunteers, and raised $4384.45 in sales and donations. At the end of another successful day, the Cancer Council banked a total of $2.45 million.

Thank you again to everyone involved, especially those who arrived at 7am! I hope that Golden Key members keep up this good work in the years to come, and I look forward to seeing you all next year - Daffodil Day 2004 will be held on Friday 20th August.

Thomas Nguyen
Community Service Officer 2003

Oxfam Walk Against Want - February 2003

Oxfam Community Aid Abroad is an independent, voluntary community based organisation bringing together people from a range of backgrounds and cultures with the goal of building a fairer world. Community Aid Abroad is an independent Australian organisation that is one of twelve agencies that comprise Oxfam International. Oxfam Community Aid Abroad is committed to dealing with the causes of poverty, is involved in long-term community partnerships, facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid and advocates social justice around the global community.

This year the Walk Against Want fundraising event was held on Sunday, February 23rd. According to Oxfam, the event was first held in 1967 to symbolise the daily long walk that women in underdeveloped countries take to fetch water. The University of Sydney Chapter of Golden Key was privileged to provide a number of volunteers for the Walk Against Want starting at Victoria Park, Glebe. Golden Key members provided their time to act as marshals along the walk route through The University of Sydney campus and surrounding areas from 8:30 to 11:30 am. Even faced with some challenging weather on the day volunteers and the excellent turnout of walkers ensured a successful fundraising event for Oxfam.

Many thanks to the Golden Key members who volunteered on the day, and the University of Sydney Chapter of Golden Key would like to express our thanks to the Oxfam Community Aid Abroad organisation for their contribution to the global community and making a positive contribution to people around the world especially those in under-developed countries.

Nicholas Rozario
President 2002 - 2003

Daffodil Day - August 2002

On Friday the 23rd of August, the Sydney University Chapter of Golden Key helped to raise money for Daffodil Day. Started in the mid-1980s by the Canadian Cancer Society, Daffodil Day is one of the most successful fundraising events for cancer education, research and support, having raised $35.1 million since its introduction to Australia in 1986. Nationally, it was hoped that in 2002, Daffodil Day would raise $8.7 million.

Due to the generous support of local communities, The Cancer Council Australia is able to allocate more than $19 million each year, to research into the causes and potential cures for a disease that effects almost one in three Australians. This research has made it possible to prevent one third of all cancers, and more than half of all cancers can now be successfully treated. Despite all this, cancer is still a major concern in Australia, and requires continued research and community support.

Stationed at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown, GKUSYD was able to generate huge support for Daffodil Day and raise over $4700, in just seven hours. In total, these people donated approximately sixty hours of their time to help cancer research, education and patient support within Australia. Special thanks must go out to all those volunteers who assisted in the selling of merchandise on Daffodil Day. Without the support of both the Executive Committee and the General Members of GKUSYD, it would not have been possible to make such a valuable contribution, to this worthwhile cause.

Lisa Adams
Community Service Officer 2002 / 2003

Mukinge Hospital (Zambia) - from October 2001

Last year the University of Sydney chapter created a long term link with Zambia, which the present executive continues to maintain. The executive has worked diligently to promote the chapter on campus by developing a community service focus that has not only made a difference to an HIV/AIDS prevention program at the Mukinge Hospital in Zambia but has also allowed us to advertise the benefits of Golden Key throughout the student population.

By raising nearly $4 000 for this program we have allowed Mukinge to buy nearly 2000 HIV testing kits, which will identify those mothers about to give birth, who are HIV positive. Those identified will then be given a one off dose of an antiretroviral medication that has reduced the incidence of the transmission of the virus their unborn child, during the birth process, from 37% to 11%.

At a chapter level we have increased the awareness of the epidemic and its devastating effects in Africa. In doing so our members have seen how they can make a difference through involvement with Golden Key. Members have assisted us by selling raffle tickets and coming to events where the raffle has been promoted. The most common feedback from members was how impressed they were that the chapter would be able to give the money raised directly to the hospital. The donation would not be swallowed up by the administrative costs of another charity.

Having based our year around this focus, the chapter has been able to promote this project through articles in CONCEPTS, a workshop at the Asia-Pacific Conference and at our reception where our keynote speaker, Dr Trevor Smith, explained to new members how this money would help his work at Mukinge.

It was certainly a wonderful project to work on and the chapter was thrilled to win the Asia-Pacific Community Service Award. The proceeds of the award, US$100, were donated to the hospital. Special thanks to Asha Bowen who created the link with the hospital, to Daniel Prypchan who secured first prize for the raffle and to Emily Hawcroft who organised all the other prizes and implemented the raffle. Thank you also to the other chapters in Sydney region who sold tickets (the Macquarie University chapter, the University of Wollongong chapter and the University of Western Sydney chapter) and also to the Asia-Pacific office staff.

Diana Jefferies
GKUSYD President 2001 - 2002