Students from Yarra Valley Grammar were rewarded for their fundraising efforts when Olympic gold medallist Russell Mark visited their school.

Yarra Valley raised more than $28,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Pied Pipers last year, the highest of any school.

Community links co-ordinator Damian Ellul said the school had raised more than $100,000 in the past five years.

Mark, a patron of the Pied Pipers, said he talked to the students about achieving their goals.

‘‘Yarra Valley is a very competitive school and it is great how they take pride in everything they do,’’ Mark said.

‘‘I told them to make their goals realistic and to take responsibility for them. I also spoke about how you need to surround yourself with good people you can trust in, whether as an individual or a team.’’ Mark said he became involved with the hospital after he won double trap shooting gold at the 1996 Olympics.

‘‘I received hundreds of requests and we were just about to have our first child at the time,’’ he said. ‘‘What tipped me over was when I spent a day at the hospital. If you ever think you are having a bad day then go into there for a couple of hours...’’

Maroondah Leader - April 7, 2009
Reporter - Shaun Campbell
Picture - Eugene Hyland


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