Rotary Brisbane High-Rise commenced a journey with the Mamba school in 2010. It started with a Rotary trifecta raffle to raise enough funds to build a much needed water tank. This meant the students didn't have to fill containers from a creek every day before school. This was just the beginning...
 
Over the next decade, we went on to build new classrooms and renovate others, build a new kitchen, toilet block, library and assembly hall and connect power, as well as provide school resources, new jumpers, books and stationery to all students. These improvements led to an incredible lift in education for the students and helped to give them the opportunity for a brighter future.
 
The sheer appreciation and gratitude shown by the local community shows the huge impact this project has made on their lives.

High-Rise members and friends worked for two years to bring a young Papua New Guinean woman, Vascolynna, to Australia for life-changing treatment. Vascolynna's jaw was completely fused on one side and partially on the other side, as a result of a condition that causes excess bone growth. 

All the things we take for granted, like cleaning our teeth and eating a normal diet were a problem for Vascolynna.

The operation took place at Brisbane’s Wesley Hospital, with the medical staff performing the operation pro bono, and her travel and accommodation taken care of by Brisbane High-Rise. 

High-Rise member Dr John Arvier operated on Vascolynna as a 3 year old in 2003, to treat the condition. In 2019 he provided assistance lead surgeon Dr Geoff Findlay.

The club is hoping to assist other international patients over the coming year. 

 

St Jude's provides a free, high-quality education to 1,800 disadvantaged, bright students at their primary and secondary campuses in Arusha, Tanzania. They also have a program to support graduates through higher education. 

High-Rise has proudly supported the School of St Jude's in Tanzania for nearly 10 years, in a number of ways: 

  • High-Rise Club has made 5 visits to the school since 2012, with some 79 visitors in all.

  • Through visits and the connection with the school, the High-Rise community now proudly sponsors 23 students, including our own club student Irene. We have also for many years helped students with disabilities.

  • Since 2016 year High-Rise has raised over $110,000 for St Jude's school projects. The funds raised by the club and their friends have been used to install solar hot water heaters, support the school’s welfare program and also support the special medical fund. 

Recently a breakfast event, hosted by High-Rise, raised over $35,000 for the Beyond St Jude's Program, which helps transition graduates to university. 

Click this link for more about The School of St Jude's. 

The TSS Maheno is a New Zealand Hospital Ship that collected injured Australians and New Zealanders from Anzac beach in 1915 and transported them to Britain where they could get the care needed. The proud wreck of the NZ Hospital ship Maheno has been resting on the beach of Fraser Island, Queensland, since 1935.
 
The Rotary Club of Brisbane High-Rise has organised a number of events in recognition of the ship's service in the first World War and ANZAC.  These include a service in Maheno, NZ, for the Armistice Day 100 year anniversary (in 2018) and annual ANZAC day services at the site on Fraser Island.  Students from the primary school in Maheno together with the school community and representatives from the NZ and Australia Defense Forces travel to the island for the celebrations. 
 
Brisbane High-Rise has also been involved in projects to install commemorative plaques at both Fraser Island and the Maheno Cenotaph and to replicate the original ship's bell.
 
Click here for more information on the Maheno Fraser Island Facebook page.