Wed 28 May 2025 7:00am - 3:30pm
Inspired by the achievements of the 1968 Interact Club, the Year 12 cohort has proposed a significant fundraising project aimed at enhancing the historic entrance gates at the corner of Mary and Herries Street.
As Toowoomba Grammar School celebrates its 150th anniversary, our Year 12 students have embarked on an inspiring journey as their parting gift to the School, one they hope will leave a lasting legacy. This milestone year is not only a time to reflect on our rich history and traditions but also an opportunity for our senior students to contribute meaningfully to the School's future. Inspired by the achievements of the 1968 Interact Club, the Year 12 cohort has proposed a significant fundraising project aimed at enhancing the historic entrance gates at the corner of Mary and Herries Street.
The Legacy Project
The idea for the project was born out of a desire to honour the past while making a tangible contribution to the School's future. The 1968 Interact Club set a remarkable precedent by running to Dalby and back to raise funds for constructing the brick gates at the original entrance to our School.
That year, 54 determined boys took on an incredible endurance test— it was decided to conduct a fast relay run to Dalby and back, a distance of 110 miles. It was proposed to run legs of 220 yards, with each member running about 16 times and hoped to complete the distance in 10 hours, pushing their physical limits in an extraordinary display of dedication to their school.
They were each sponsored for $10 by Old Boys and local businesses, raising over $500 of the $600 needed to fund the construction of the entrance we know today. In just 7 ¾ hours, they secured their place in Grammar history. Their perseverance and unity, core values of a Grammar education, left a lasting legacy.
After the 1968 run, there were a number of other fundraising runs organised by Interact. They included a Guiness Book of Records feat, walking to Brisbane (1974), a “wheelbarrow-a-thon” to Cunningham’s Gap and back (1977), a “gigathon” to Millmerran and back (1976) and a “buggy-a-thon” from Roma to Toowoomba.
The G150 Gift Run
This year, our Year 12 students have decided to re-enact this historical run in a modern format, with the goal of refurbishing and upgrading these iconic gates at their gift to TGS.
Scheduled for Wednesday, 28 May 2025, the G150 Gift Run will see 150 Year 12 students organised into 15 teams of 10, each representing their respective Houses. The event will take place from 7:00am to approximately 3:30pm, with each team completing 100 kilometres by running one-kilometre laps around Old Boys, Barbour and Mills Ovals. One student from each team will run one lap at a time, with teams strategising how to distribute the running workload among their members. If all teams complete the challenge, the total distance covered will be 1500 kilometres, symbolising our 150 years of excellence.
Fundraising Goals
Each team has been tasked with raising $3500, amounting to an average of $350 per student. The funds raised will go towards the gate refurbishment project, with any additional funds being donated to the Nerve Connection Foundation (NCF). The NCF is a charity close to our hearts, with an Old Boy serving as the Director and Advisory Board Member Dr Robert Henderson (TGS 1981-85) and a current parent Mr Matthew Butler as the inaugural Ambassador. Both of these men will be visiting the School to address our Assembly in Term 2. More information about the NCF can be found on the Foundation’s website.
