Rochester schools benefit from thousand dollar donations

By Adair Winder

Feb 13, 2023

Grateful: Denvah Matthews, Charlotte Gould, Alex Ingram and Declan Pearse, Kate Whitford, Keeley Major, Jasmine Watson, Judd Cuttriss and Asher Rasmussen, Meg O’Sullivan, Charlotte Harris, Mitch McInnes, Liz Trewick and Noah Makepeace, with Rochester IGA business owner Brad Major. Photo by Contributed

Three schools in Rochester have been presented with gigantic cheques after Major’s IGA Rochester generously donated more than $7,000 for their efforts during the floods.

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Rochester Secondary School, Rochester Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary School in Rochester all received $2349.42 each.

A percentage of every purchase made at Major’s IGA goes towards their community chest program, which then gets donated towards a chosen organisation each year.

Rochester IGA business owners Brad and Rachael Major said they chose to donate to the schools this year because they have shown such resilience despite all the hardships they have faced as a result of the floods.

“Usually we donate to the SES or the CFA but this year we really wanted to do something for the schools because a lot of students helped us to protect our business during the floods,” Mr Major said.

“It’s just a way for us to give back to them for all that they’ve been through.”

It’s not difficult to see why the Majors made the decision to lend a helping hand with all that the students and teachers have gone through in terms of the rigmarole of having to commute to different communities for schooling, to taking lessons in portable classrooms all while protecting their homes or living in temporary accommodation.

If there is one thing for certain it’s that the schools in Rochester deserve the gesture.

Rochester Primary School principal Kate Whitford thanked the Majors’ for the donation.

“We’re just overwhelmed by their generosity,” Ms Whitford said.