It’s that time of the year again when thousands of school-leavers head for the Gold Coast for Schoolies Week. Journalist SELINA VENIER looks at one of the new Christian initiatives for this year’s festival
RED frogs go hand in hand with outreach for Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast and during the week ahead they’ll be reaching into the radio airwaves for the first time.
Radio 96.5FM’s Scotty McDonald and former announcer Aaron Hamilton are getting their heads together to present Red Frogs Radio from 10pm and 4am on Schoolies nights via sister station on the Gold Coast 107.3FM.
“We’re working in partnership with the Red Frogs hotel chaplaincy program,” Scotty, a Brisbane Catholic, said before the first program last night (November 21).
“We will be presenting … specifically for Schoolies in a cool, fun way … (with) tones of making smarter choices at the festival.”
Scotty said the “plan is to get as much fun content for the show during the day” and then “jump into the studio at night to make the show happen, playing a stack of requests for the Schoolies”.
“Az (Aaron) and I are both really passionate about how awesome and valuable teenagers are so we’re going to be aiming to meet as many new friends during the week as we can,” he said.
The Red Frogs chaplaincy network involves about 2000 Christians who Scotty said were popular with school-leavers – but maybe not as popular as the sugary treat itself.
“If you talk to any Schoolie they’ll tell you how they adored their red frogs,” Scotty said from past year’s experiences.
He then explained more of what these Good Samaritans would be doing during the week ahead.
“Young Christians from all denominations are assigned to hotels to hang out with the Schoolies,” Scotty said.
“They do everything from just talk to them, to playing cards through to cooking pancakes for them and cleaning up after them.
“The trademark is obviously them carrying around endless supplies of red frogs.”
There are several other Red Frog Hotel Chaplaincy trademarks.
“If Schoolies want to book pancakes, need someone to walk them somewhere or if they’ve had a rough night and need a hand they can get a team dispatched to them,” Scotty said.
“(And) they also run an entertainment stage on the beach, holding nightly beach parties and then movies into the not so early hours of the morning.”
Asked what might have happened in the absence of the Red Frog volunteers, Scotty said there might have been scope for Schoolies to now be non-existent.
“The backbone that Red Frogs truly provides in supporting the emergency services at the event is amazing and I’m sure it has prevented countless emotion, drug and alcohol fuelled incidents – probably even a couple of deaths.”
Excited about being among the school leavers Scotty said he’s still in touch with the “Red Froggers” of his senior year in 2006.
“For me it was just awesome to be in that environment and have other people around who weren’t pressuring you to drink – people who were cool to hang out with and who you could just talk to,” he said.
Various Christian churches in Brisbane as well as 96.5FM have been calling for donations to help in the “pancake making” the Red Froggers offer – with an estimated 10,000 “pancake shakers” needed.
They support the “smarter choices” of the Red Frogs Chaplaincy Network.
“Always call 000 in a medical emergency,” the network advises school-leavers at Schoolies Week.
“Always walk home with friends” and even call the Red Frogs team on 1300 557 123 for company on the “walk home”.
“Take lots of food … keep drinking water … (and) if you get evicted from your hotel at night-time, wait up at a well lit and busy area until it’s light, or until your parents arrive – don’t wander the streets in the dark.”
Radio 107.3FM program director Callum Jones said Red Frogs Radio would support those “on the ground” who were bringing the advice to the school-leavers.
“Red Frogs do fantastic work already and our way is to provide another avenue,” he said.
“We hope to put a positive spin on Schoolies.”
Scotty said he hoped more young Catholics can help out saying, “I know they have a lot to offer and a lot to gain from it.”
Rosies youth outreach always have a similarly strong and valuable presence during Schoolies Week.
