The Big S’Cool Walk began in 2022 with two WrkPod clients, Brendan Daynes and Aaron Nauta, after a visit to Siquijor Island in the Philippines.
They fell in love with the people and the culture, but they also saw something that was hard to ignore. Many of the schools outside the major centres were underfunded and lacked basic resources that students and teachers needed every day.
Brendan and Aaron decided to do something practical about it. They came up with the idea of walking 50 kilometres around Siquijor and asking friends, clients and supporters to sponsor the challenge, with the money going towards local schools.
That first walk raised around A$10,000, and what began as a simple idea quickly grew into an annual event. Since then, The Big S’Cool Walk has brought together business owners, WrkPod clients, staff and supporters who walk, donate and sponsor the event to help provide school supplies, computers and other essential resources for children in remote communities.
Dale Beaumont and Kody Thompson have supported Brendan and Aaron’s initiative through WrkPod and have helped promote the event to the wider Business Blueprint community. Their role has always been to back the founders, help amplify the cause and encourage more people to get involved.
The need is real. Siquijor is a small island province, and many schools outside the main population centres do not receive the same level of resources as larger schools. Yet the students and teachers have the same ambition, commitment and desire to learn.
That is what makes The Big S’Cool Walk so meaningful. It combines adventure, community and giving, while directing support to schools that can easily be overlooked.
The event continues to grow. In 2025, around 150 people participated, with more than A$50,000 raised for local schools across Siquijor.
For Dale, Kody and the WrkPod community, The Big S’Cool Walk is another example of how business relationships can create something far bigger than business itself. The credit belongs to Brendan and Aaron for starting it, and WrkPod is proud to continue supporting their vision and helping more people discover the cause.
