By Jim Mynard
St MARGARET’S School students have launched an appeal for new or used sporting equipment for Fijian children.
They became inspired after hearing guest speaker, 23yearold Peter Cole from Ferntree Gully, tell of his project Spirit of Sharing.
While visiting Fiji in 2000, Mr Cole saw school children playing games with old bottles, cans and sticks.
From this sprung an idea to supply sporting equipment to as many schools as possible.
Each year he returns to Fiji with a container filled with preloved and new sporting equipment.
This year St Margaret’s decided to support his project.
They have already started collecting items but will hold two collection days when sporting equipment can be left in bins at the school on school fete day on Saturday, 17 March and on open day Saturday, 24 March.
Mr Cole said he could easily fill the container but also needed to find sponsorship to pay the $3000 cost of sending it to Fiji.
“I go to Fiji at my own expense to distribute the equipment to schools.
“We have no trouble getting the container filled but there’s a transport cost,” he said.
Mr Cole can be contacted on 9758 7994 or 0439 997 583.