Gelato for the gospel

Over ten years after he first attended SU-Schoolies on the Sunny Coast, Lenny opened the doors of his Gelato store for a special SU-Schoolies-only night out!

In 2013, when Lenny was completing year 12 in Rockhampton, he and his best friend —the only two students in their year at their small school – were looking for a safe, fun way to celebrate finishing school.

With no plans to throw their towels in with the Gold Coast party scene, SU- Schoolies ticked all the boxes they wanted and needed … and more.

“Schoolies offered so much to us …it’s very affordable, and we were able to go and enjoy a great time in a healthy environment that nurtured our Christian walk and helped us to meet other Christians,” reflects Lenny.

“It’s a fantastic thing that’s available to Christians who want to enjoy celebrating finishing school, but want to do it in a way that’s glorifying God, and with other people who share our worldview.”

Something else happened at SU-Schoolies in 2013 that, at the time, seemed unremarkable: Lenny visited the local shopping centre for an elective.

A decade later, when Lenny was looking for a space to open a gelato store, he found the spot he needed in the very shopping centre he’d visited, a space with deeply rooted memories from his SU-Schoolies days.

What came next couldn’t have been more natural.

When the 2024 group of Schoolies came to the Sunny Coast, Lenny provided a special elective, a fun night of cold gelato and warm conversation.

“We stayed open a bit later and provided the menu for the Schoolies … And so they came in and picked whatever they wanted and enjoyed gelato around the plaza,” says Lenny.

Not only was this a wonderful night for the Schoolies themselves, but it was also a wonderful trip down memory lane for Lenny. Who should walk into the store that night, but one of the leaders who led on Lenny’s own SU-Schoolies experience!

With hindsight, Lenny can see even more clearly the vital importance of camps like SU-Schoolies.

“I definitely think it would be very sad … if I heard that SU-Schoolies was no longer a thing… because it does provide so much for that age.”

And as for the future of gelato and schoolies: “I’m just trying to think how we can make it even better next time!” says Lenny.