Page 34 - The Gonzaga Record 1988
P. 34
scene from the bible was acted out by appealing eyes. However, such was the
eight of the group. excellent spirit and camaraderie that,
All in all, it was a very enjoyable and except for a short spell of "Portlaoise
peaceful two days. Everyone who took Blues", we trundled happily onward
part agreed that you got as much out each day, shaking our collecting
of it as you put in. It was an oppor- buckets in the most beguiling manner
tunity to get to know oneself and the possible at every innocent car or
other members of the class better. pedestrian we met.
Unfortunately, Clarabella had aged
Andrew Mareee (S.6A) seriously since last year and twice
needed hip-replacements during our
6-day walk. All credit to our medical
GONZAGA FIFTH YEAR crew for saving the day and Clara-
PROJECT bella's legs. A successful publicity
campaign before and during the
This year's project really started in project lent us a certain notoriety and
October with a mammoth 4-hour thanks to our daily phone link-up with
committee meeting which, if nothing Radio 2 more than one driver stopped
else, aptly demonstrated the need for to enquire after Clarabella's dodgy
and value of an agenda. After several legs.
weeks' consideration we decided that The last day, we had been gleefully
this year's beneficiaries would be the assured by Fr Brennan, was the
St Vincent de Paul Sunshine Fund and toughest. However, before hitting the
the Irish Wheelchair Association. Our road we experienced a problem. Our
next problem was figuring out how to Elephant had been stolen during the
raise the money by which they would night! Nenagh, the scene of the crime,
benefit! Despite several hair-brained had proven itself capable of the most
schemes (including a mass parachute dastardly of deeds. Luckily, terrible
jump!), perhaps inevitably we opted visions of Clarabella being shipped off
for the Pink Elephant Push of last to South America and sold to wealthy
year, believing, in our innocence, that art-dealers were shattered by the local
it would be both simple to organise constabulary. They informed us that a
and financially lucrative. large pink animal, elephantine in
To cut a very long, complicated and, shape and with a rather bewitching
at times, seemingly doomed-to-failure smile had been found, parked behind
story short the Push began on 21 the Police station. Soon we were re-
March. With the world-renowned united and by 4 o'clock we had reached
Elephant Pusher, the Lord Mayor Limerick following the most testing
Carmencita Hederman and an excellent day's walk, a gruelling 26 miles of Irish
jazz band to set us on our way the 126 motorway, inhabited only by frequent
miles in front of us seemed like a mere pot-holes and the odd startled cow.
jaunt! What could possibly dampen But what of the 26 5th years in
our spirits? Dublin? They passed the time, with
It rained every single day and we rich results, by pushing a large litter
had gale-force winds on three succes- bin through the streets, collecting litter
sive days. Needless to say our spirits and, more importantly, money as they
weren't the only things to get went. Together we raised the fantastic
thoroughly soaked! Poor Clarabella, sum of £20,450.
our beloved elephant was forced to Finally I would like to thank those
spend long periods of time under a teachers who came down each day to
rather shapeless polythene overcoat drive the van, chaperone us and pro-
which sadly hid her angelic smile and vide a link with the outside world.
32
eight of the group. excellent spirit and camaraderie that,
All in all, it was a very enjoyable and except for a short spell of "Portlaoise
peaceful two days. Everyone who took Blues", we trundled happily onward
part agreed that you got as much out each day, shaking our collecting
of it as you put in. It was an oppor- buckets in the most beguiling manner
tunity to get to know oneself and the possible at every innocent car or
other members of the class better. pedestrian we met.
Unfortunately, Clarabella had aged
Andrew Mareee (S.6A) seriously since last year and twice
needed hip-replacements during our
6-day walk. All credit to our medical
GONZAGA FIFTH YEAR crew for saving the day and Clara-
PROJECT bella's legs. A successful publicity
campaign before and during the
This year's project really started in project lent us a certain notoriety and
October with a mammoth 4-hour thanks to our daily phone link-up with
committee meeting which, if nothing Radio 2 more than one driver stopped
else, aptly demonstrated the need for to enquire after Clarabella's dodgy
and value of an agenda. After several legs.
weeks' consideration we decided that The last day, we had been gleefully
this year's beneficiaries would be the assured by Fr Brennan, was the
St Vincent de Paul Sunshine Fund and toughest. However, before hitting the
the Irish Wheelchair Association. Our road we experienced a problem. Our
next problem was figuring out how to Elephant had been stolen during the
raise the money by which they would night! Nenagh, the scene of the crime,
benefit! Despite several hair-brained had proven itself capable of the most
schemes (including a mass parachute dastardly of deeds. Luckily, terrible
jump!), perhaps inevitably we opted visions of Clarabella being shipped off
for the Pink Elephant Push of last to South America and sold to wealthy
year, believing, in our innocence, that art-dealers were shattered by the local
it would be both simple to organise constabulary. They informed us that a
and financially lucrative. large pink animal, elephantine in
To cut a very long, complicated and, shape and with a rather bewitching
at times, seemingly doomed-to-failure smile had been found, parked behind
story short the Push began on 21 the Police station. Soon we were re-
March. With the world-renowned united and by 4 o'clock we had reached
Elephant Pusher, the Lord Mayor Limerick following the most testing
Carmencita Hederman and an excellent day's walk, a gruelling 26 miles of Irish
jazz band to set us on our way the 126 motorway, inhabited only by frequent
miles in front of us seemed like a mere pot-holes and the odd startled cow.
jaunt! What could possibly dampen But what of the 26 5th years in
our spirits? Dublin? They passed the time, with
It rained every single day and we rich results, by pushing a large litter
had gale-force winds on three succes- bin through the streets, collecting litter
sive days. Needless to say our spirits and, more importantly, money as they
weren't the only things to get went. Together we raised the fantastic
thoroughly soaked! Poor Clarabella, sum of £20,450.
our beloved elephant was forced to Finally I would like to thank those
spend long periods of time under a teachers who came down each day to
rather shapeless polythene overcoat drive the van, chaperone us and pro-
which sadly hid her angelic smile and vide a link with the outside world.
32
