A group of Granville Boys High students pounded the pavement to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer by walking from Sydney to Woy Woy.

School captain Berhan Kassem, concerned about negative media attention received by the school last year, came up with the idea for the 65-kilometre walk to Brisbane Water Secondary College’s Woy Woy campus.

Granville Boys High head teacher PDHPE Nathan Towney, who with three other teachers walked with the group, said the Year 11 boys “wanted to show the local community that what they’d read and seen was not a true reflection of what our school is about”.

In the lead-up to the December walk, Mr Towney and the nine boys completed sixkilometre training walks each morning.

They also secured support from police and local businesspeople who donated food, drinks and first-aid kits.

“The local community has been very positive … and so far we’ve raised $1,500 and people are still donating,” Mr Towney said.

The two-day walk included an overnight camp at Hornsby Heights and a multicultural festival at the Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy campus at the end of the walk.