University of Western Australia: Students rattling tins for PROSH charity fundraiser

Students from The University of Western Australia will hit the streets of Perth on Wednesday 17 August dressed in outlandish costumes to sell the annual edition of the satirical PROSH newspaper.

After postponing the event due to COVID earlier this year, the students are aiming to raise more than $30,000 to support two local and well-deserving charities.

Recipients of the money raised will be Trillion Trees, a charity restoring biodiversity in both urban and rural settings; and Operation Sunshine, providing a positive impact in the lives of children and young people in out-of-home care.

PROSH, a UWA Student Guild initiative, is the oldest and most successful single‐day charity event in the country run entirely by students. Since its inception in 1931 PROSH has raised more than $2 million for over 100 charities.

UWA Guild President Amitabh Jeganathan said the generosity of the Perth community will play a big role in supporting this long-standing student initiative and the deserving charities.

“After the original PROSH date was postponed, a group of dedicated student volunteers have spent months keeping the PROSH spirit alive on campus,” he said.

“This year’s satirical paper promises plenty of tongue‐in‐cheek articles, controversial advertisements and more. The Guild is extremely proud of the PROSH tradition and the charitable contribution it has made in the WA community.”

On PROSH day, students will arrive on campus from 5am to collect the papers and descend on the streets of Perth in the CBD, Claremont, Subiaco, Mount Lawley and Fremantle, rattling tins for the morning commuters.

This year PROSH will once again be accepting electronic donations via EFTPOS machines, so cashless commuters can still purchase a paper.