Tonbridge School Turns Pink … and raises more than £7,000 for charities
Tonbridge School turned pinker than ever for its annual event when boys and staff think of those affected by cancers of all kinds.
Staff and students wore pink clothing, and School buildings were dressed in bows and fabrics, with this year’s Pink Day on Friday 14 October raising a record-breaking £7,170 for local and national cancer and hospice charities.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the School uses this national fundraising campaign to highlight issues concerning all cancers and to show support for any families going through a cancer diagnosis.
Boys are encouraged to discuss the subject and, crucially, to feel at ease while doing so, and are also reminded to check their own bodies for any changes, learning that early diagnosis is a key to successful treatments.
In the run-up to Pink Day, the boys heard a moving Chapel talk from Helen Teare, a volunteer with Breast Cancer Kent and a former Tonbridge parent, about her personal journey with cancer and the effect it had on her family. Boys also learned of the fantastic support given to families by Breast Cancer Kent, one of the main beneficiaries of the Pink Day proceeds.
Helen said: “All that the School is doing to raise the profile of charities such as Breast Cancer Kent is fantastic. My message to you all is to be aware of your body – know what your ‘normal’ is and talk to someone if you have concerns. On behalf of all at Breast Cancer Kent, we are so grateful that you are supporting us.”
All boys and staff were encouraged to dress as pink as they dared and to donate generously from their own pockets, and on the day the School was awash with a spectacular variety of pink outfits.
The School Praes ran a pop-up shop where boys were encouraged to buy second-hand pink clothing to make up their outfits. All items came from The Demelza Hospice shop, with the boys’ efforts raising more than £700 for the charity. The Praes also ran a stall at breaktime, selling bags of retro pink ‘n’ mix sweets.
More than a hundred meters of pink fabric was hung from the main School tower and adjacent windows, making a particularly striking image.
The Tonbridge School Centre joined in the fun too, with activities including a popular raffle raising £195 for Breast Cancer Now.
For the first time, Hilden Grange Preparatory School also joined in Pink Day, with Tonbridge boys helping to decorate the front of the school.
Finally, as it grew dark, an amazing light show across the main School buildings was generously provided by High-Resonance & Illumination.
