The power of purpose

I have always loved the concept of well kids helping sick kids. Recently a teacher reached out to me to ask for support for his students to raise money for Starlight. Whilst it’s always amazing when this happens, this is an extraordinary story which struck a chord with me.

Our children & young people are facing a tsunami of challenges in today’s society. Recent studies confirm engaging children & young people in philanthropic activity including giving, fundraising, volunteering reduces the likelihood of poor mental health… so it seems this teacher is onto something. As a wife of a great teacher, I know great teachers know how to engage their students & change lives.

Within his school, Rick Pedley-Smith identified a group of teenage boys who were not reaching their full potential. Rick wanted to see these boys thrive & set out to change their course.

Under his guidance, the boys set out to raise $15,000 in less than a year, for a worthwhile cause. Rick believed by doing this it would enable them to belong to something bigger than themselves & help to reshape their thoughts about themselves. He called this The Rite of Passage Boys Program. Rick recognised the boys needed a cause they could connect to. Together they chose to fundraise for Starlight… helping sick kids in tougher situations than their own. They agreed on fundraising activities with the major challenge being a non-stop 100KM, gruelling trek along the Australian coastline.

Before the trek, as the boys started their fundraising, Rick asked us if it would be possible for a team member from Starlight to come & share with the students, the impact of what we do to brighten the lives of sick kids & to help motive the boys for their task ahead. And of course, we did.

When our Starlight team member visited she noted the boys shied away from being thanked or congratulated for this enormous undertaking. Their reaction was… “It’s not about us”. Instead they asked probing, intelligent questions. They wanted to know as much as possible about the stories of the seriously ill children their fundraising was supporting.?They said, “Tell us about the kids.” And as our team member left the school the boys said… “Don’t worry, we’ve got this”.

The boys fundraised for months, in creative ways only teenage boys can dream up. The trek itself took 28 hrs 40 mins, non-stop. When they started to develop blisters the size of oranges on their feet, when they were tired & wanted to sleep & when they felt they simply couldn’t go on, their catch cry was… “If you think this is tough, think about what it’s like for the kids in hospital you are helping.” They would not quit.

And did they achieve their fundraising goals? You bet they did! The group raised enough funds to help Starlight bring joy & happiness when it’s needed most to 384 sick & hospitalised kids, for their entire stay in hospital.

At the very heart of this story is the importance of a sense of meaning & purpose. These boys came together to achieve amazing things driven by this. They delighted in their ability to do something good for someone else. As Rick put it, “to belong to something bigger than yourself”.

Rick shared with me a noticeable & tangible difference in the boys as the challenge progressed. He shared with me an uplift in their attitude & ability to embrace positivity.

At Starlight we know how powerful this is. Starlight was the first organisation outside of the education sector to embed positive psychology throughout our organisation, more than a decade ago. Happiness & positive psychology are at the centre of everything we do & support our essential pathways to flourishing as human beings in work & in life.

What amazes us about this story is the passion & dedication of this teacher in recognising these boys had so much to give. He could see their leadership ability and potential. Rick knew these boys would benefit so much from working towards a common goal and dedicating themselves to purpose.

So it seems what this group of boys needed is someone to give them a chance and to believe in them. And they certainly have this in Rick. And his work is catching on. Rick is now leading the roll out of the Rite of Passage Program in other schools.

Got to love kids helping kids… And, those in our community with the care & drive to go above & beyond to make a difference. Thank you to all involved, boys, teachers, supporting parents & those who contributed to their fundraising. You are helping Starlight brighten lives & ignite a flame within young people through the power of purpose. And thank you Rick for being the kind of teacher all teachers should aspire to be.?