Last Monday Hāwea Flat School principal Sue Heath did a sponsored skydive in the hopes of raising over $10,000 for a school hall extension. 

Design work for the building has been completed but further funding is now required to get the construction under-way.

“This was a real challenge for me—I enjoy a ride on a rollercoaster but it was never on my bucket list to jump out of a plane at 12,000 feet. Children in R3 had written me letters with lots of helpful tips [...] Things like, 'remember to breathe because it helps you stay calm' and 'there is a back-up parachute if the first one doesn't open' and 'have a healthy breakfast but don't eat too much just in case...'. 

Heath continued, “Our current hall, Grandview, is way too small now having been built when there were only four classrooms and 84 students at the school. Now there are ten classrooms and 245 children so we just don't fit into the space anymore especially when we want to share things with parents.” 

“I kept telling myself that it's good to step out of your comfort zone. We often ask our children to do this with their learning and when they're giving something a go for the first time, so it seemed like a good idea at the time for me to do the same.” said Heath “By last Friday the Givealittle page was up over $8,000 so it looked like I'd definitely be doing the skydive [...] While it was never on my bucket list to skydive, it has given me a real buzz. [...]  It's such a great team out at Wānaka Skydive—a big thank you for your support and the opportunity to raise money for our new hall.”

To learn more, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=sXoiZK0XRYI

Donate at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/the-sue-heath-i-believe-i-can-fly-fund