Newsletter
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The Big Lift
Newsletter 2011
Musswellbrook Our first stop. Musswellbrook PCYC, two local Childcare centres and a local church. Narrabri Out second stop. Narrabri Ability Support Service and Mercy Respite Home. Warialda Our third stop. The local preschool, primary school and high schools, the stream that runs through the town, the historic Carinda House, the local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, the Hospital and the Bowling Club. Stanthorpe Our fourth stop. Girraween National Park and the Stanthorpe Community Gardens. Brisbane Our fifth stop. The Bigmazing Race, Random Acts of Kindness. Valla Beach Our sixth and final stop. Bus Idol, reflection and consolidation, Words of Wisdom.
Sydney to Stanthorpe - our rural adventure!
Over the course of 5 days, 42 students from UTS, the University of Newcastle, and Queensland University of Technology performed community service activities in 4 rural towns in NSW and QLD. Sunday July 3 was our first day together on the Big Lift. We spent most of the day traveling from Sydney to Muswellbrook via Newcastle. Our hours on the bus together were filled with introductions, admin, "speed-dating" to get to know each other and finally a little bit of sleep for those who may have been out a little late the night before. We stayed at the PCYC in Muswellbrook, where upon our arrival we got a talk from centre manager Dian. She discussed the many programs the centre runs for both youth and older members of the community, including self-esteem programs, healthy living classes and anti-drink driving education sessions.
After completing our work, we had a barbecue lunch at the PCYC and set off to Narrabri. We arrived at Narrabri after a drive of about 3.5 hours, including a highly entertaining rest stop in Gunnedah where some children's play equipment got more of a workout than it expected! We arrived at the brightly-coloured Nurruby Childcare Centre at about 6:30, for another night of activities and laughter.
Narrabri The Bus Team with crew posing in front, outside UTS on the morning of July 3. Everyone is excited and preparing for the trip to Musswellbrook.
After a cool night at the Nurruby Childcare centre filled with fun, the Big Lift Team woke up to a stunning frosty Narrabri morning. After a speedy breakfast and pack up, we split into two groups to begin our service projects for the day. The first group of 15 went to the Narrabri Ability Support Service, a group home for women. They shoveled 6 tonnes of dirt, weeded garden beds, and did other maintenance odd jobs around the place. The rest of the bus team, assisted at the Mercy Respite village, doing similar tasks as well as constructing a fence. The whole team ended the work on a very satisfied high. After our activities were complete, we set off for Warialda. On our way we went through Moree, stopping at the Artesian Baths. Everyone loved the hot, relaxing water and the second half of the bus trip was filled with a whole lot more sleeping people than before!
That evening, we engaged in a few more activities where we get to know each others’ name, interests, habits and other tidbits - some great team bonding!
Muswellbrook
After a bright and early wakeup at the PCYC and after a delicious bacon and eggs brekkie, the Big Lift Team set to work on our first service activities. There were a number of jobs we were involved in, including concreting, painting and gardening at the PCYC, gardening at two local childcare centres and scrubbing a local church from top to bottom.
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
1
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GUEST COLUMN: PIP
Before going on the Big Lift, I have to say I was a borderline skeptic. That's right, a selfconfessed skeptic. It was my ever-so-fleeting excitement on that fateful day that I found the Big Lift and Big Lift found me that is saving me from man's biggest shame - being completely and entirely (note my use of two interchangeable words for dramatic effect) WRONG. In the days approaching the ominous Big Lift departure morning, my mind and body were relenting to the overpowering forces of laziness and second-guessing - thank goodness the Big Lift and I were financially involved! However, the Big Lift has left me feeling incredibly affected that I can't help but break every rule in the writer’s bible with the kind of words that are spoken in every terrible rom-com and repeated in second-rate Facebook statuses. You can take this as a warning that the following sentences contain more than a trace of cliché.
The Team members working at the Narrabri Ability Support Services home.
Stanthorpe
Unsurprisingly, Stanthorpe was the coldest night of the Big Lift. We'd been guessing this based on the reactions of every single person we told we were going to Stanthorpe ("You're going to Stanthorpe? That'll be a bit chilly!") and so waking up to find frost covering the soccer field at the club where we were staying wasn't too shocking. Following a somewhat loaves-and-fishes breakfast, most of the team boarded the bus to go to our next projects, at the Girraween National Park and the Stanthorpe Community Gardens. 18 students went to the Girraween National Park, moving and sandbagging decomposed granite to help recover the popular Junction Track that was damaged by the January floods. The Community Gardens team built a rammed earth wall, dug trenches to drain water away and laid the groundwork for new garden beds. A small number of Big Lifters stayed behind to mow the lawns and do maintenance at the Ballandean Soccer Club, where we had stayed the night before. We set off early in the afternoon for our return to
So far, the Big Lift has been as much a physical journey of laborious, get-yourhands-dirty community service projects and Warialda sweaty, smelly, unkempt uni kids as much as Warialda proved to be the coldest night we'd had so far. However this wasn't a problem for the it has been an emotional one. Filled with so much joy, laughter, dancing (in the middle of team, as we were woken with delicious bacon and a moving bus!), singing (by both the vocally toad-in-the-hole cooked by our ever-hospitable hosts Graham and Doug, and many of the girls gifted and vocally challenged) and love that and guys enjoyed hot showers to wake them up. it almost feels invalid to say that at each and We split off into our service projects about 9am, every stop we've given something very working at 8 different places around Warialda: the precious to those who really need it. Maybe local preschool, primary school and high schools, that's because we're getting so much back. the stream that runs through the town, the historic HOWEVER, the Big Lift is only halfway through and more of a glass-half-full type of girl so I only have two words for you: YEAH BUDDY!!!
Carinda House, the local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, the Hospital and the Bowling Club. It was a great experience being in the smaller groups because we got to meet lots of different people in the town, get involved in a variety of activities and make a broader impact across the community. Every single member of the team came back raving about the people they met, how much they enjoyed their service projects and how much they'd gotten out of them, and it seemed like Warialda appreciated us as well. After our work and a fond goodbye, we set off across the border for Stanthorpe and our accommodation at Ballandean, as well a a pub meal, the State of Origin, and a bevvy of Maroons supporters. Our delicious dinner was soured only by NSW's disappointing loss. The team braved the very frosty air to return to the accommodation for some reflective activities to consolidate our amazing experiences.
Upon our arrival at Warialda we were treated to a feast of roast lamb, beef and potatoes, peas, mixed vegies, and steaming bowls of fresh vegie soup most of these ingredients were sourced from within 100km for Warialda and were cooked fresh on the day by our generous hosts. We followed dinner with a huge Big Lift Olympics, involving events like Song Wars (each team inventsand performs a song with matching choreography), 3legged races and tunnel ball. Competition was fierce but in the end team "Big Pyramids" was triumphant. After awarding the prizes (big tubs of lollies!) the team retired for tea and Milo around the fire drums, and finally for our sleeping bags.
The Team members at the Girraween National Park.
the Big City (and beds, showers and personal space), Brisbane. However, our return was stymied by an hour-long traffic jam at Cunningham's Gap where the January foods had destroyed a large part of the cliff and taken the road with it. However, being industrious Big Lifters we took the opportunity to enjoy ourselves and ended up meeting a charming young man called Deklan (and his Mum!) and having a danceoff on the road between his car and the bus! We did finally reach Brisbane and check into the Novotel, where many, many pizzas were eaten and the showers were very quickly raided. Many Big Lifters decided to venture out into the not-ascool night and ended up receiving a shuffling lesson from a local busker. A few brave individuals took a dip in the beach at Southbank! Gonna put it out there, it was a very good day for the Big Lift!
Pip pulling weeds at Narrabri, at the Mercy Respite Centre.
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
2
Dreaming Big :)
Brisbane
Brisbane was the first sleep in for anyone on the Big Lift - and for uni students, 9am doesn't even really count as a sleep in! Either way, most were up early enough to join the group for breakfast and prepare for the unprecedented challenge of the "Bigmazing Race" that would begin at 10:30 with a clue slipped under each teams door. The teams had to decipher a number of clues that would lead them to QUT, a Starbucks, Brisbane City Hall and finally Mount Coottha for a team lunch. Every single member of the team made it to the Botanical Gardens at the bottom of the mountain, where over a picnic an incredible idea for a random act of kindness blossomed... A flashmob. on Twitter). A small group of blue-shirted individuals appeared together in the middle of the square, half-dancing, half-swaggering. More blue-shirted dancers appeared from no-where to fill out the modest crew to a more substantial crowd. This sizable number blasted out their moves in unison, surprising, confusing and delighting onlookers, and dispersed as quickly as they'd appeared.That was our flashmob, and we all thought we did an amazing job :) We regrouped at the Novotel afterwards to debrief, everyone still reveling in the thrill and spontaneity or what we'd just done. After showers all around we headed out for a Chinese banquet and karaoke, which proved to be another strong point of the Big Lift team. Everyone agreed it had been a most excellent day. The next leg of the journey provided more 'Bus Idol' classic hits, including Simon and his handcrafted rap, and a number of soulful duets. Our lunch break at Grafton featured yet another flashmob, this time sadly shut down by a reluctant security guard. We finally reached Valla Beach at about 6pm, after an incredibly entertaining day. The fun didn't stop there however, as the finals of 'Bus Idol' took place at the Valla Beach Superdome (aka the hall at our accomodation). Each finalist team was dressed by their own group of personal stylists (aka other Team members making clothes out of newspaper), and the competition was on, with each group performing original songs. Sophie and Bec, the dulcet duo on guitar emerged as victors to tumultuous applause from the audience.
Valla Beach
Again we were up early to push off for our final stop on the Big Lift, Valla Beach. The late arrival home of many team members had left them pining for sleep and in their exhaustion, most had foregone brekkie for an extra half hour sleep. This led to a fortuitous stop at a McDonalds along the Pacific Mortorway - where about 15 minutes were spent eating before the group launched into another flashmob! We continued our journey, and launched the 2011 season of 'Bus Idol', a TBL tradition where each team member must perform a song (either as a solo or group performance). We heard exciting numbers such as "Eye of the Tiger", "Crush" by Mandy Moore and "Bring It All Back" by S-Club 7 before our stop in Byron Bay. Our 45 minutes in Byron proved refreshing for everyone, but particularly for those who decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and have a dip at the beach. And of course, what would a Big Lift rest stop be without a flashmob? Performed on the beach to stunned onlookers, shuffling in sand proved to be somewhat challenging for the legs of a number of participants!
Back to Sydney
There’s not too much to say about the final day of the Big Lift. Exhaustion had overwhelmed every single person on the trip, and a good portion of the day was spent sleeping on the bus. After all, a week of late nights, early mornings and hard physical labour are not the usual realms of the uni student! The second half of the trip also provided an opportunity to reflect upon and share what the Big Lift meant to each team member, with everyone providing a few "Words of Wisdom" to the bus - a short personal anecdote that provides a life lesson or piece of advice. As we pulled into UTS in Sydney to unload the bus for the final time, it was a bittersweet moment for many. There were a few tears (even from those you wouldn't expect them from), many goodbyes and promises to "see you super soon". For every single person on that bus (and for many who weren't on the bus as well), the Big Lift 2011 proved to be an opportunity to gain new perspectives, grow as individuals and as a team, and most importantly, Dream Big.
The Big Lift Flashmob in the centre of Brisbane.
After a short choreography session, some intensive rehearsal, and a unanimous decision that the Ben and Jerry's stall at Brisbane City Hall would be the ideal location, the team set off to make some people's days. From visiting nurses and other hospital staff to handing out balloons to children on the street, the Big Lift team went about their "Random Act's of Kindness" with gusto. And then 4pm struck. LMFAO's "Parry Rock Anthem" started playing from the Ben and Jerry's stall (who had kindly agreed to help us after hearing about our plight
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
3
In Appreciation
Without the generous support of our sponsors, the Big Lift would not be possible. Thank you so much for your contributions and for helping us make our big dreams come true.
P R I N C I PA L S P O N S O R S MAJOR SPONSOR
UTS BUiLD Program UTS Student Services Unit
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
Post-trip
Over eight days The Big Lift went from being 42 students leaving Sydney on a bus, to a project which reached hundreds of people across New South Wales and Queensland, not to mention the impact those people had on those on board the bus. Just a sample of the experiences and impressions of the trip have been shared here, but we look forward to sharing and hearing many more in the future. Each location stopped at along the way brought new opportunities for us to work as an ever strengthening team and introduced new people for us to learn from. As the bus moved forward, it became very apparent to all just how important the whole Big Lift community was in making this trip a reality. From funding a bus to picking up a shovel, The Big Lift would not have succeeded without the support of the sponsors, supporters, participants, family and friends. You have been a part of transforming The Big Lift from a simple concept in to a very real event, community, story and more. Since the Big Lift 2010, other universities have started their own Big Lift projects, including Queensland University of Technology and Sydney University. As a result of the success of The Big Lift 2011, there have been a number of enquiries from students at other universities, interesting in setting up partner projects. We're working to provide a framework to evaluate and facilitate these opportunities. At UTS, The Big Lift has continued with smaller projects throughout the year (including blood donation, tree-planting and free hugs) and work towards another, hopefully larger trip in 2012. We certainly look to keep the community strong and there will be communication and events throughout the year. Thank you so much for your support of The Big Lift 2011 and we look forward to seeing you soon. The Big Lift Crew and Bus Team.
The Crew
Mel Bolton Glenn O’Sullivan Mara Bollard Phoebe Riordan Harold Ayson Sarah Portwine Will Jenkins
The Bus Team
Gemma Aldrich, Mel Bird, Jess Brady, Pawel Brozek, Rebecca Cahill, Jasmine Carr, Fiona Chan, Emma Charlston, Claudia Cimino, Jimmy Clare, Scott Cowley, Louis Do, Pip Denne, Henry Fan, Ally Forsyth, Nadeshda Jayakody, Brit-Helen Johansen, Mishant Kumar, Katie Latta, Liz La Cava, Kenny Mak, Merlyn Mathew, Kim Nguyen, Tuan Nguyen, Simon Pham, Nye Richards, Pamela Vanichkitrungruang, Mikaela Sanders, Sophie Saville, Bonnie Stankova, Alex Stojevski, Michelle Steel, Dian Tran, Grace Trang, Doris Wang
The Big Lift
Website: www.biglift.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/the_big_lift Facebook: www.facebook.com/biglift
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
4
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The Big Lift
Newsletter 2011
Musswellbrook Our first stop. Musswellbrook PCYC, two local Childcare centres and a local church. Narrabri Out second stop. Narrabri Ability Support Service and Mercy Respite Home. Warialda Our third stop. The local preschool, primary school and high schools, the stream that runs through the town, the historic Carinda House, the local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, the Hospital and the Bowling Club. Stanthorpe Our fourth stop. Girraween National Park and the Stanthorpe Community Gardens. Brisbane Our fifth stop. The Bigmazing Race, Random Acts of Kindness. Valla Beach Our sixth and final stop. Bus Idol, reflection and consolidation, Words of Wisdom.
Sydney to Stanthorpe - our rural adventure!
Over the course of 5 days, 42 students from UTS, the University of Newcastle, and Queensland University of Technology performed community service activities in 4 rural towns in NSW and QLD. Sunday July 3 was our first day together on the Big Lift. We spent most of the day traveling from Sydney to Muswellbrook via Newcastle. Our hours on the bus together were filled with introductions, admin, "speed-dating" to get to know each other and finally a little bit of sleep for those who may have been out a little late the night before. We stayed at the PCYC in Muswellbrook, where upon our arrival we got a talk from centre manager Dian. She discussed the many programs the centre runs for both youth and older members of the community, including self-esteem programs, healthy living classes and anti-drink driving education sessions.
After completing our work, we had a barbecue lunch at the PCYC and set off to Narrabri. We arrived at Narrabri after a drive of about 3.5 hours, including a highly entertaining rest stop in Gunnedah where some children's play equipment got more of a workout than it expected! We arrived at the brightly-coloured Nurruby Childcare Centre at about 6:30, for another night of activities and laughter.
Narrabri The Bus Team with crew posing in front, outside UTS on the morning of July 3. Everyone is excited and preparing for the trip to Musswellbrook.
After a cool night at the Nurruby Childcare centre filled with fun, the Big Lift Team woke up to a stunning frosty Narrabri morning. After a speedy breakfast and pack up, we split into two groups to begin our service projects for the day. The first group of 15 went to the Narrabri Ability Support Service, a group home for women. They shoveled 6 tonnes of dirt, weeded garden beds, and did other maintenance odd jobs around the place. The rest of the bus team, assisted at the Mercy Respite village, doing similar tasks as well as constructing a fence. The whole team ended the work on a very satisfied high. After our activities were complete, we set off for Warialda. On our way we went through Moree, stopping at the Artesian Baths. Everyone loved the hot, relaxing water and the second half of the bus trip was filled with a whole lot more sleeping people than before!
That evening, we engaged in a few more activities where we get to know each others’ name, interests, habits and other tidbits - some great team bonding!
Muswellbrook
After a bright and early wakeup at the PCYC and after a delicious bacon and eggs brekkie, the Big Lift Team set to work on our first service activities. There were a number of jobs we were involved in, including concreting, painting and gardening at the PCYC, gardening at two local childcare centres and scrubbing a local church from top to bottom.
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
1
S
E
Q
U
O
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A
C
L
U
B
GUEST COLUMN: PIP
Before going on the Big Lift, I have to say I was a borderline skeptic. That's right, a selfconfessed skeptic. It was my ever-so-fleeting excitement on that fateful day that I found the Big Lift and Big Lift found me that is saving me from man's biggest shame - being completely and entirely (note my use of two interchangeable words for dramatic effect) WRONG. In the days approaching the ominous Big Lift departure morning, my mind and body were relenting to the overpowering forces of laziness and second-guessing - thank goodness the Big Lift and I were financially involved! However, the Big Lift has left me feeling incredibly affected that I can't help but break every rule in the writer’s bible with the kind of words that are spoken in every terrible rom-com and repeated in second-rate Facebook statuses. You can take this as a warning that the following sentences contain more than a trace of cliché.
The Team members working at the Narrabri Ability Support Services home.
Stanthorpe
Unsurprisingly, Stanthorpe was the coldest night of the Big Lift. We'd been guessing this based on the reactions of every single person we told we were going to Stanthorpe ("You're going to Stanthorpe? That'll be a bit chilly!") and so waking up to find frost covering the soccer field at the club where we were staying wasn't too shocking. Following a somewhat loaves-and-fishes breakfast, most of the team boarded the bus to go to our next projects, at the Girraween National Park and the Stanthorpe Community Gardens. 18 students went to the Girraween National Park, moving and sandbagging decomposed granite to help recover the popular Junction Track that was damaged by the January floods. The Community Gardens team built a rammed earth wall, dug trenches to drain water away and laid the groundwork for new garden beds. A small number of Big Lifters stayed behind to mow the lawns and do maintenance at the Ballandean Soccer Club, where we had stayed the night before. We set off early in the afternoon for our return to
So far, the Big Lift has been as much a physical journey of laborious, get-yourhands-dirty community service projects and Warialda sweaty, smelly, unkempt uni kids as much as Warialda proved to be the coldest night we'd had so far. However this wasn't a problem for the it has been an emotional one. Filled with so much joy, laughter, dancing (in the middle of team, as we were woken with delicious bacon and a moving bus!), singing (by both the vocally toad-in-the-hole cooked by our ever-hospitable hosts Graham and Doug, and many of the girls gifted and vocally challenged) and love that and guys enjoyed hot showers to wake them up. it almost feels invalid to say that at each and We split off into our service projects about 9am, every stop we've given something very working at 8 different places around Warialda: the precious to those who really need it. Maybe local preschool, primary school and high schools, that's because we're getting so much back. the stream that runs through the town, the historic HOWEVER, the Big Lift is only halfway through and more of a glass-half-full type of girl so I only have two words for you: YEAH BUDDY!!!
Carinda House, the local Anglican and Presbyterian churches, the Hospital and the Bowling Club. It was a great experience being in the smaller groups because we got to meet lots of different people in the town, get involved in a variety of activities and make a broader impact across the community. Every single member of the team came back raving about the people they met, how much they enjoyed their service projects and how much they'd gotten out of them, and it seemed like Warialda appreciated us as well. After our work and a fond goodbye, we set off across the border for Stanthorpe and our accommodation at Ballandean, as well a a pub meal, the State of Origin, and a bevvy of Maroons supporters. Our delicious dinner was soured only by NSW's disappointing loss. The team braved the very frosty air to return to the accommodation for some reflective activities to consolidate our amazing experiences.
Upon our arrival at Warialda we were treated to a feast of roast lamb, beef and potatoes, peas, mixed vegies, and steaming bowls of fresh vegie soup most of these ingredients were sourced from within 100km for Warialda and were cooked fresh on the day by our generous hosts. We followed dinner with a huge Big Lift Olympics, involving events like Song Wars (each team inventsand performs a song with matching choreography), 3legged races and tunnel ball. Competition was fierce but in the end team "Big Pyramids" was triumphant. After awarding the prizes (big tubs of lollies!) the team retired for tea and Milo around the fire drums, and finally for our sleeping bags.
The Team members at the Girraween National Park.
the Big City (and beds, showers and personal space), Brisbane. However, our return was stymied by an hour-long traffic jam at Cunningham's Gap where the January foods had destroyed a large part of the cliff and taken the road with it. However, being industrious Big Lifters we took the opportunity to enjoy ourselves and ended up meeting a charming young man called Deklan (and his Mum!) and having a danceoff on the road between his car and the bus! We did finally reach Brisbane and check into the Novotel, where many, many pizzas were eaten and the showers were very quickly raided. Many Big Lifters decided to venture out into the not-ascool night and ended up receiving a shuffling lesson from a local busker. A few brave individuals took a dip in the beach at Southbank! Gonna put it out there, it was a very good day for the Big Lift!
Pip pulling weeds at Narrabri, at the Mercy Respite Centre.
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
2
Dreaming Big :)
Brisbane
Brisbane was the first sleep in for anyone on the Big Lift - and for uni students, 9am doesn't even really count as a sleep in! Either way, most were up early enough to join the group for breakfast and prepare for the unprecedented challenge of the "Bigmazing Race" that would begin at 10:30 with a clue slipped under each teams door. The teams had to decipher a number of clues that would lead them to QUT, a Starbucks, Brisbane City Hall and finally Mount Coottha for a team lunch. Every single member of the team made it to the Botanical Gardens at the bottom of the mountain, where over a picnic an incredible idea for a random act of kindness blossomed... A flashmob. on Twitter). A small group of blue-shirted individuals appeared together in the middle of the square, half-dancing, half-swaggering. More blue-shirted dancers appeared from no-where to fill out the modest crew to a more substantial crowd. This sizable number blasted out their moves in unison, surprising, confusing and delighting onlookers, and dispersed as quickly as they'd appeared.That was our flashmob, and we all thought we did an amazing job :) We regrouped at the Novotel afterwards to debrief, everyone still reveling in the thrill and spontaneity or what we'd just done. After showers all around we headed out for a Chinese banquet and karaoke, which proved to be another strong point of the Big Lift team. Everyone agreed it had been a most excellent day. The next leg of the journey provided more 'Bus Idol' classic hits, including Simon and his handcrafted rap, and a number of soulful duets. Our lunch break at Grafton featured yet another flashmob, this time sadly shut down by a reluctant security guard. We finally reached Valla Beach at about 6pm, after an incredibly entertaining day. The fun didn't stop there however, as the finals of 'Bus Idol' took place at the Valla Beach Superdome (aka the hall at our accomodation). Each finalist team was dressed by their own group of personal stylists (aka other Team members making clothes out of newspaper), and the competition was on, with each group performing original songs. Sophie and Bec, the dulcet duo on guitar emerged as victors to tumultuous applause from the audience.
Valla Beach
Again we were up early to push off for our final stop on the Big Lift, Valla Beach. The late arrival home of many team members had left them pining for sleep and in their exhaustion, most had foregone brekkie for an extra half hour sleep. This led to a fortuitous stop at a McDonalds along the Pacific Mortorway - where about 15 minutes were spent eating before the group launched into another flashmob! We continued our journey, and launched the 2011 season of 'Bus Idol', a TBL tradition where each team member must perform a song (either as a solo or group performance). We heard exciting numbers such as "Eye of the Tiger", "Crush" by Mandy Moore and "Bring It All Back" by S-Club 7 before our stop in Byron Bay. Our 45 minutes in Byron proved refreshing for everyone, but particularly for those who decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and have a dip at the beach. And of course, what would a Big Lift rest stop be without a flashmob? Performed on the beach to stunned onlookers, shuffling in sand proved to be somewhat challenging for the legs of a number of participants!
Back to Sydney
There’s not too much to say about the final day of the Big Lift. Exhaustion had overwhelmed every single person on the trip, and a good portion of the day was spent sleeping on the bus. After all, a week of late nights, early mornings and hard physical labour are not the usual realms of the uni student! The second half of the trip also provided an opportunity to reflect upon and share what the Big Lift meant to each team member, with everyone providing a few "Words of Wisdom" to the bus - a short personal anecdote that provides a life lesson or piece of advice. As we pulled into UTS in Sydney to unload the bus for the final time, it was a bittersweet moment for many. There were a few tears (even from those you wouldn't expect them from), many goodbyes and promises to "see you super soon". For every single person on that bus (and for many who weren't on the bus as well), the Big Lift 2011 proved to be an opportunity to gain new perspectives, grow as individuals and as a team, and most importantly, Dream Big.
The Big Lift Flashmob in the centre of Brisbane.
After a short choreography session, some intensive rehearsal, and a unanimous decision that the Ben and Jerry's stall at Brisbane City Hall would be the ideal location, the team set off to make some people's days. From visiting nurses and other hospital staff to handing out balloons to children on the street, the Big Lift team went about their "Random Act's of Kindness" with gusto. And then 4pm struck. LMFAO's "Parry Rock Anthem" started playing from the Ben and Jerry's stall (who had kindly agreed to help us after hearing about our plight
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
3
In Appreciation
Without the generous support of our sponsors, the Big Lift would not be possible. Thank you so much for your contributions and for helping us make our big dreams come true.
P R I N C I PA L S P O N S O R S MAJOR SPONSOR
UTS BUiLD Program UTS Student Services Unit
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
Post-trip
Over eight days The Big Lift went from being 42 students leaving Sydney on a bus, to a project which reached hundreds of people across New South Wales and Queensland, not to mention the impact those people had on those on board the bus. Just a sample of the experiences and impressions of the trip have been shared here, but we look forward to sharing and hearing many more in the future. Each location stopped at along the way brought new opportunities for us to work as an ever strengthening team and introduced new people for us to learn from. As the bus moved forward, it became very apparent to all just how important the whole Big Lift community was in making this trip a reality. From funding a bus to picking up a shovel, The Big Lift would not have succeeded without the support of the sponsors, supporters, participants, family and friends. You have been a part of transforming The Big Lift from a simple concept in to a very real event, community, story and more. Since the Big Lift 2010, other universities have started their own Big Lift projects, including Queensland University of Technology and Sydney University. As a result of the success of The Big Lift 2011, there have been a number of enquiries from students at other universities, interesting in setting up partner projects. We're working to provide a framework to evaluate and facilitate these opportunities. At UTS, The Big Lift has continued with smaller projects throughout the year (including blood donation, tree-planting and free hugs) and work towards another, hopefully larger trip in 2012. We certainly look to keep the community strong and there will be communication and events throughout the year. Thank you so much for your support of The Big Lift 2011 and we look forward to seeing you soon. The Big Lift Crew and Bus Team.
The Crew
Mel Bolton Glenn O’Sullivan Mara Bollard Phoebe Riordan Harold Ayson Sarah Portwine Will Jenkins
The Bus Team
Gemma Aldrich, Mel Bird, Jess Brady, Pawel Brozek, Rebecca Cahill, Jasmine Carr, Fiona Chan, Emma Charlston, Claudia Cimino, Jimmy Clare, Scott Cowley, Louis Do, Pip Denne, Henry Fan, Ally Forsyth, Nadeshda Jayakody, Brit-Helen Johansen, Mishant Kumar, Katie Latta, Liz La Cava, Kenny Mak, Merlyn Mathew, Kim Nguyen, Tuan Nguyen, Simon Pham, Nye Richards, Pamela Vanichkitrungruang, Mikaela Sanders, Sophie Saville, Bonnie Stankova, Alex Stojevski, Michelle Steel, Dian Tran, Grace Trang, Doris Wang
The Big Lift
Website: www.biglift.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/the_big_lift Facebook: www.facebook.com/biglift
The Big Lift Newsletter, 2011
4
