Walking for Cerini were Rita Spallotta, Diane Doherty, Donna Peacock and– Kath Gannaway
FATHER Charlie Cerini would have been proud.
Thirty-seven people walked in searing heat and a pall of smoke from Yarra Junction to the Cerini Centre in Warburton on Sunday, 10 December, to raise money for the centre named in his honour.
The walk retraced the steps of Fr Cerini and students who did the walk over 13 days in 1966 as a protest against the government’s refusal to allow Catholic school children on the local bus system.
Maxine Foster (Lord) who took part in the original walk returned to the valley to walk with school-chum Donna Peacock.
“You had to be crazy to do it, but it was wonderful,” she said.
“It had a really nice feel about it. To see all those people from way back then and to know there is still such a sense of community up there was wonderful.”
Peter Summers, chairman of the Cerini Centre committee, said the walk raised $800.
“I thought on Sunday if we got a dozen people we would be lucky so it was a nice surprise on such a bad day to get as many as we did,” he said. “We had about 60 people at the centre after the walk having a good yarn, reminiscing and looking at the old photos, including the ones of Fr Cerini and students on the original walk.”
