UNICEF, held its biggest event ‘UNICEF day’ on Monday June 9th at the Macleans College Amphitheatre with a huge crowd showing up in attendance. ‘UNICEF’ is a massive service extracurricular at Macleans college which through bake sales, events and bucket collections raises thousands each year for many of the international organisation’s efforts in reducing child harms.
The event itself was a huge success, innovating this year by adding a new row of Game and Information stalls with the usual Food and Baking stalls.
Food stalls sold items including Cookies, Chips and Muffins, each prepared by UNICEF students to the enjoyment of the student body still mourning the loss of the beloved tuck shop. Proceeds from the sales will contribute to a larger pool of money to be donated by UNICEF, for causes such as the Ukraine Emergency, Global Malnutrition Crisis and Vanuatu Earthquake Appeal.
The information stalls were focused on raising awareness, rather than making money. They raised posters, had games and prizes for winning. Overall people were able to increase their understanding of the issues faced by youth elsewhere while earning some candies.
We asked the exec for their thoughts on planning the event?
The annual UNICEF day is definitely one of the highlights for me for being part of UNICEF. It’s an opportunity for our members and other students in the school to learn more about the specific crises that we deal with. People develop an understanding of why it’s so important to do these volunteering initiatives while maintaining a fun and interactive surface on the games and activities.
The most difficult part of getting this event together would definitely be the pre-UNICEF day organisation. With a group of nearly 200 students, it was a bit difficult to split them into groups of corresponding crises as each student had their own preferences and ideas. Especially then getting all the on-paper ideas for stalls, made into a reality considering the scale of the group.
However, after several phone calls to nearby takeaway stores, moving heavy boxes of drinks from local supermarkets, countless emails and meetings, and the hard work of the executive team, Mrs Heeney and all the students we were able to work efficiently and make sure that everything was running smoothly on the day.
- Audrey Shi (‘UNICEF’ Student Executive)
Students at the event also had some comments on the proceedings of the event:
“It was good! I felt like I could contribute to society and like I informed a couple people about the tragedy in Ukraine.” – Robertson Lin.
“I really felt connected with the people who support others in need. Such an inspiring sight to see!” – Tahzeeb Tahiat.
A massive thanks for the UNICEF Exec and club members for their organisation and effort, attendees for their active participation and special thanks for the students who shared their perspective on the event in the article.
Published Monday 28th July 2025.
Written by Haran Thirumeni, Edited by Emma Li
Photography by Salvador Vantacich
