Students' fundraising bid risks turning teachers into punks

Students at Westlake Girls High School will pull out all the stops in their bid to raise $30,000 for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine and their teachers vow they will adopt punk-style hair-dos if the girls reach their goal.

A group of Westlake Girls High School students raised $4,200 for World Vision at the recent Chinese Lantern Festival held at Albert Park. The money will go towards the 40 hour famine. Photo: L-R: Kaiying Chin, Sarah McLelland, Rochelle Pethybridge, Andrea Loh, Nicole Toi, Shalini Chand, Peggy Lui and Sarah Small.

"It's an added incentive that the entire senior management have agreed to dye their hair red and green if we reach our target," says head girl and World Vision student representative Kaiying Chin.

During the Famine weekend students will camp out on North Shore streets in cardboard boxes, mirroring the plight of refugee children, while soliciting donations from the public.

Their fundraising target represents a 50 per cent increase on funds raised last year.

Kaiying says there is a real spirit of enthusiasm amongst students to raise money for young people of their own age suffering because of war.

"We simply believe nothing is impossible. And when it comes to helping those in need, our whole school will always come together to do the best that we can."

Local business is supporting the girls with the Mad Butcher holding a free BBQ for all those who volunteered their time over the Famine Weekend.

The theme of this year's 40 Hour Famine is "Peace not Pieces" and will help children hurt by war to pick up the pieces of their lives.

The Famine runs from March 19 ? 21. Over 100,000 young New Zealanders are expected to fast for 40 hours to raise money for children in conflict-stricken Haiti, Rwanda and other war plagued regions.

© Scoop Media