In August this year, 25,000+ people took part in the iconic Bridge to Brisbane fun-run. Amongst the crowd of lycra-clad competitors and tutu-wearing fun-runners was Chappy Lachlan from Mount Kilcoy State School – only, he didn’t run alone.
Chappy Lachlan knew when he decided to commit to the 10km run, he would need the support of his school community to power him on. So, naturally, he invited his school principal to run with him.
“When I talked to my principal, he was on board straight away. He is a big supporter of chaplaincy and having him involved was a massive push,” says Chappy Lachlan.
“A principal has a lot of responsibility on their plate looking after an entire school. So to have him on board talking positively about chaplaincy and showing he’s actively doing something, it’s really encouraging for the school community.”
Communities are naturally formed when people come together around a common cause, and encouraging school staff to get involved meant that Chappy Lachlan built a social community in the workplace.
“I’m part of a close, small school and everyone’s very community-minded. Hearing staff talk about the race in the staff room, or train together at the Kilcoy Park Run was very cool,” says Chappy Lachlan.
“Bridge to Brisbane is a unique opportunity where supporters can get involved right alongside the person they’re supporting. It’s not just the chaplain running with everyone waving on the sidelines – everyone is welcome to join the race.”
Well done, Chappy Lachlan and the school community at Mount Kilcoy! You are an inspiration.
Chappy Lachlan’s 5 Top Tips to get the most out of your Bridge to Brisbane Fundraiser:
- Train with your team – make it a team effort and do it all together: training, racing, fundraising etc.
- Don’t sell your goal short – set your fundraising target as achievable but high. You’re putting all this effort in, so you may as well go big.
- Get your LCC involved – having them run with you or spread the word in their networks makes all the difference to your sphere of influence.
- Plug your fundraising in the community – get it outside of the four walls of your school. Use your personal contacts to spread the message – who knows, some friends may even join you!