THS Ex-students aims to raise $1 million in July [1]
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 - 15:49. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Tonga High School Ex-students Association aims to raise $1 million to mark the 65th anniversary of Tonga High School THS on July 4, by charging ex-student to put their names on their Memorial Wall.
Tapu Panuve the President of the Tonga High School THS Ex-students Association told Matangi Tonga on March 9 that a fund raising project that will be unveiled on July 6, during the 65th anniversary celebration is a Memorial Wall (Wall of Fame) that is currently being built on the ground of Tonga High School.
He said that 65 granite slabs, 1130mm x 800mm will be mounted on the wall and names of individuals, Classes, Ex-students Chapters or a dedication could be engraved onto the granite slabs at a cost of $1000 per name with a maximum of 33 characters, and 56 characters per dedication.
There is a limited space available on the Memorial Wall for only 1000 names and dedications messages, and Tapu is optimistic that the Memorial Wall will be full when it will be unveiled on July 6. There are about 5000 active THS ex-students, according to the THS Ex-students Association.
Tapu said that the one million pa'anga that they hope to raise during the 65th anniversary celebration will go toward establishing what he called a Founder's Endowment Fund.
"The Fund will be deposited in the bank, and the interests can be used to finance school projects, and the upkeep of the school," said Tapu.
Tonga High School was founded by His Late Majesty, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV in 1947.
The initiative to set up such a fund, as the Founder's Endowment Fund was approved during the 50th Anniversary of Tonga High School in 1997.
"But nothing was done until recently when the memorial wall initiative was taken up to raise funds for the school," he said.