Ballarat High School students keep up fundraising legacy for Walking Off War Within

Ballarat High School VCE vocational major students remain determined to keep supporting Walking Off the War Within to raise awareness and support for people struggling with their mental health.

The Ballarat-based not-for-profit charity was important to their teacher James Petrie, who long championed the cause. Mr Petrie died by suicide early last year.

Together, students raised more than $2000, predominantly from chocolate prize raffles, for Walking Off the War Within. They presented their efforts to Walking Off the War Within's John Shanahan before a whole school assembly on Wednesday.

High year 12 student Ebony McGuinness said this was an important cause to keep highlighting.

"We want to keep Mr Petie's legacy going on what he started," Ebony said. "Keep the cause going."

This comes amid a scourge of young people who have died by suicide about the region the past couple of years.

Walking Off the War Within's John Shanahan was impressed students had kept up Mr Petrie's tradition, also because he felt it was vital to keep raising mental health awareness among young people - to let them know there was help and there could be light.

Walking Off the War Within follows the footsteps of Ballarat's Nathan Shanahan, a former special forces soldier and fire fighter, who trekked from Mildura to Adelaide to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress and depression.

There are now events across the nation, including Ballarat, for emergency services and defence force personnel and friends and families to walk together and help share the load. Events also aim to be a prompt for people to check in with each other.

All money raised by Ballarat High supports events and boosts the work of frontline services for people who are struggling with mental health.

"This is another example of support getting community awareness up and it's terribly important for the young ones," Mr Shanahan said.

"It's great they're interested in the cause and continuing it on."

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This follows the return of the Nathan Shanahan Memorial Cup, contested between Buninyong and Clunes in the Central Highlands last weekend.

Walking Off the War Within will return to Ballarat in October after more than a year's hiatus in the wake of pandemic restrictions. Walks in Mildura and Warrnambool will follow.

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