Alumnus, Ben Wilheim (Class of 2008), won the Young Adult category, contribution to Australian Society in last year’s prestigious B’nai B’rith/JNF Changemaker Awards for his efforts to raise awareness and funds for education and research into a cure for pancreatic cancer. His organisation, Remember September (www.rememberseptember.org.au) a challenge-based fundraising initiative, was created in 2014 by Ben and his brother David, following the death of their father Danny in 2014 and their cousin Danielle (who was only 33) in 2012, from this disease. Their initials (D and D) are forever etched into the ribbon on the Remember September logo.

With the support of family and friends, many of whom are also Emanuel alumni, and a change in format for this year’s event from drinking water only for the whole month of September to a choice of four options - giving up sugar, giving up alcohol, giving up caffeine plus the original challenge of giving up ALL liquids except water, they have raised over $230,000 this year - more than they had raised over the first five years of this challenge.

(After completing HSC in 2008, Ben went to UTS and completed a Bachelor of Business: Marketing; Event Management; Management and now works for Arinex, an event management company, as Project Manager).