The Gawura Cocktail Evening was a wonderful night of fun and fundraising as we celebrated the life-changing opportunities that are offered by Gawura School.  Our MC Jodie Taylor guided us through the evening which was based on the theme of the Emu in the sky constellation.  Gawura teacher Jane Price shared a presentation on starmaps and the Gamilaraay and Yuwalaraay people’s story of the Emu (dhinawan) in the Sky.  There was an opportunity to buy a piece of a life sized emu jigsaw puzzle and there was a spirited auction of a beautifully decorated emu egg painted by Queensland artist Brendon Porteous and a signed Rabbitohs jersey.  It was a great spectacle to watch a projected image of the emu in the sky gradually lit up as more and more donations were received throughout the night.

It was wonderful to listen to a performance by The Gawura String Quintet and there was an update from students past and present on their exciting careers and study opportunities.  Gawura teacher Michael Kirk gave us an insight into his journey to being a Gawura teacher and School Captain Josh Ralph highlighted some of the many opportunities that he has been offered over his years.

Thanks to the generosity and puzzle building skills of over 100 Gawura supporters we were able to complete the giant emu jigsaw and light up the complete Emu in the Sky constellation as we reached, and then exceeded our target for the night.

In total we raised a fantastic $44,067 which will fund new school resources and cultural learning opportunities for our First Nations students. This includes uniforms, music tuition, after school activities, cultural excursions and additional support for those students who need it.

A huge thanks to everybody who attended the evening and helped make it such a great success we truly appreciate your support.