Students from James Sheahan Catholic High School's Sri Lanka Mission Team will not embark on the annual overseas trip this year due to the Easter bombing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, the cancellation of their travel plans has not stopped the year 11 students from continuing to raise money, and on Saturday they will host a high tea fundraiser at the CWA Hall in Robertson Park.
Mission coordinator and high tea caterer Lynelle Maguire said all the funds will go towards buying literacy and numeracy resources for seven schools in the isolated northern Tamil region.
After the civil war they were very impoverished, some of the schools still had bullet holes in the walls.
- Lynelle Maguire
The resources will be at the students' English levels or could be used in lessons run in the Tamil language.
"All the money goes to Sri Lanka [the students] have to pay for airfares and accommodation themselves," Ms Maguire said.
"We will try and buy our resources locally, then we take the resources to Sri Lanka.
"The children cannot go this year because of the terrorist bombing, we will either ship them over or hold them for next year.
She said the mission started in 2013 after the civil war ended and it was safe to travel there and the school chose Sri Lanka because James Sheahan Catholic High School was a de La Salle school and there were de La Salle schools in Sri Lanka.
"After the civil war they were very impoverished, some of the schools still had bullet holes in the walls," Ms Maguire said.
This is the first time the annual trip had to be cancelled and by the time the state of emergency was lifted it was too late to re-organise.
READ MORE: Students get set for Sri Lankan mission
"We waited and waited and waited, we only called it off six weeks ago, we were hoping the state of emergency was [lifted], we couldn't in all consciousness take the children to a state of emergency."
Each year the team is made up of year 11 students and this year's team has 16 students and three staff members.
There will be two sittings for the high tea at 11am and 2pm. Tickets are $20 and there will be lucky door prizes, raffles and a selection of four sweet and four savoury treats as well as endless tea and coffee.
Among the year 11 students who make up this year's Sri Lankan Mission Team is Rory Thornhill.
"The mission aspect appeals to me personally and the opportunity to give to children less fortunate than ourselves," he said.
It's hoped the team will raise $2500 just from the high tea but they have also raised money by selling chocolate boxes, a raffle, they worked as time keepers from 8am to 5.30pm at the Orange Acquatic Club Short Course Carnival and helped all day from 5.30am at the Newcrest Cycling Challenge.
The total fundraising goal is between $6000 and $7000 and Ms Maguire said it is in addition to other fundraising projects that are focused on helping people in the Orange region.
Tickets are available at the school office, or phone 6362 1422 to book or pick up and pay at the door.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...