“A moment when I realised it was impacting schoolies culture? I suppose it’s around the same time I became a schoolies celebrity. Where ever I went kids recognised me and pointed me out because I went to their school. I guess I figured if they remembered me hopefully they also remembered what I said. It was also great when kids would tell me they made different choices because of the education program. Often girls told me stories of how they had arguments with friends at schoolies and then they all said, “The Red Frog girl told us we would have arguments.”Then they said it was easier to make up and become friends again just because they were prepared for it.”
#1997
The start of something amazing
With a team of 17 volunteers wearing t-shirts screen printed with ‘Hotel Chaplaincy’, Andy hit the Gold Coast with a budget of $450 in pocket. They started door-knocking every hotel room and looking after Schoolies. Many Schoolies were skeptical and closed the door in their faces - until they discovered the magic of a small red lolly.
#How it all started!
The Original Pioneers
The orginal crew! Thank you for the legacy you have built.
Andy Gourley, Tim McDonald, Jack McDonald, Dave Connett, Rebecca Connett, Lucy Cox, Tahnee Williams, Justin Vickers, Stu Bolger, Luke Newman, Wendy Mac, Simon Campbell, Brendan Robinson, Mick Cann, Tim Winnington, Glen Higgins and Dan Smith.
A big thank you to our first ever sponsor, Juice FM Radio! Thanks for believing in us.
First Red Frog lolly purchase!
In the first year Andy grabbed an 80kg box from Campbell’s Cash & Carry in Ashmore. These small lollies became the ultimate ice breaker for gaining access to these schoolies, to help in the situations they were needed the most.
“I’m just standing there with this box of frogs thinking, these things are amazing…” - Andy
'97 Schoolies experience
“There were no security on the doors, no passes, nothing. It took us 4 days to door knock every hotel door. We’d pull up and just look at the balconies and see the lights flashing and music blaring and go ‘yep, that’s the room!’” – Tim McDonald, Original Red Frog Volunteer
University Program Launch
The Red Frog uni program (known then as ‘Uni Net’) also launched in 1997!
With a handful of crew starting the first hydration station at O Week in Bellenden Ker College at Griffith University, Brisbane.
#1998
'98 Schoolies Experience
“The first year was a bunch of us trying our best – working it out. Second year was more organised – Simon Campbell oversaw street teams, I ran the diversion activities/band/entertainment on the back of the truck on the esplanade, Andy ran the hotel chaplains which my team joined after midnight when our noise curfew kicked in.” – Dave Connett, Original Red Frogs volunteer
Andy and the pioneers spread the news about the need for support during Schoolies celebrations and return the next year with a team of 45 volunteers.
Churches, organisations and supporters donate 220kg of Allens red frog lollies!
The first call centre
The ‘Call Centre’ was a bunch of Nokia mobiles set to divert – and after hours went straight to Andy’s phone!
Divert & Distract #101
Quickly learning that non-alcoholic and diversionary activities that engage young people would curve the number of incidents and alcohol-related issues; Dave, Andy and the ‘HC’ team took over the Entertainment Stage – which started out in the back of a truck on the esplanade – bumping in and bumping out every night. The crew would pack down, lock the gear away and sleep on the floor of the local church, just to do it all again tomorrow!
Freebies at Unis
Andy and the crew soon realised the way to a uni student’s heart was with FREE STUFF! Our heart to bless and reach out to uni students was extended by introducing free uni bags at O-Week.
#1999
'99 Schoolies Experience
90 volunteers and budget increases to $4500 as HC introduce the use of video footage of the crowds projected onto the screen on the stage. The Schoolies responded incredibly well to this, drawing more party-goers from drinking in their rooms to dancing alcohol-free and supervised on the esplanade.
Some sporting LEGENDS!
If you know Andy, you know he has connections. Kicking of the first of many ‘celebrity visits’ with Shaun Hart (Brisbane Lions), Jason Stevens and Matty Rogers (NRL) ‘frogging up’ at Schoolies, and helping launch the profile of Frogs amongst young people and media statewide. This became pivotal in strengthening the relationship with the sporting world, also in need of their own chaplaincy support.
AFL legend and 3 time premiership winner Shaun Hart went on to do 10 years of Frogging – a true legend on and off the field!
The Pancake Era Begins
Volunteer Sam Bartlett cooks the very first pancake for his Schoolies. Little did he know they would become part of the very DNA of Red Frogs! We now do around 77,601 pancake cook-ups annually.
#Welcoming in the new century...
2000
Volunteers grow to 120 on the Gold Coast armed with 880kg of Allens red frog lollies.
After a few years at Surfers Paradise, Schoolies locations were spreading fast and the need for the Hotel Chaplaincy support beyond the Gold Coast borders was becoming obvious. Dave Connett branched out with 50 volunteers to pioneer the second location – the Sunshine Coast.
2001
As the frog supply tips over the 1 tonne mark, Hotel Chaplaincy expands across the country – now aiding Schoolies/Leavers celebrations at the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, North Stradbroke Island, Whitsundays, Magnetic Island, Victor Harbour SA, Rottnest Island WA, Dunsborough WA, Margaret River WA and Smith’s Beach WA with 685 volunteers supporting 95,000 party goers.
2002
National Call Centre Launch: Previously having one number diverting to five box-shaped Optus mobile phones, Red Frogs officially pioneer the first National Call Centre, directing distress calls and pancake requests to teams across the country and allowing crew to gain intel, enabling them to respond to incidents just in time, not after time.
Friend of the Frog: Breakfree Beachcomber resort became HQ and the first ‘Friends of the Frog’ by donating free rooms to volunteers
First High School Presentation: Sarah Carter presented the first ‘Schoolies’ high school seminar at Browns Plains.
Red Frogs Victoria Launch: Mark Gellie and his faithful team of volunteers kick off the Red Frog response at Lorne Schoolies celebrations.
#Sarah Coleman (Carter), Education Program Pioneer (2002)
#Victoria Launch!
2003
Boardriders, Uni Net and Schoolies all join together under ‘Red Frogs’ for the first time.
Now with around 700 volunteers in 13 locations nationally and 3.2 tonnes of Allens red frogs.
Red Frogs Education programs gain traction in over 60 schools, educating 8000 year 12 students on safe party behaviour and how to survive Schoolies week.
Pressure on the Queensland Government to regulate Schoolies increases as new figures reveal that last year’s event was the most violent ever. Red Frogs strengthens their partnership with Department of Communities to provide a greater support service for young people and change the trajectory of the damaging party culture. This was the first year of State Government funding for the Schoolies response.
2004
Allens now donate 5% of their total production to the cause of Red Frogs.
Red Frog Boardriders do their first major skate trip “Big Bus Tour” and begin a 13 year partnership with JC Epidemic. The Big Bus Tours partnered with Youth Alive and local churches with the purpose of encouraging local youth, meeting them where they were at in life, and being a positive peer presence in the often drug and alcohol influenced communities.
2005
400 volunteers now on the Gold Coast alone, with 5.2 tonnes of Allens red frogs across the country. Many of the frogs were donated through Red Frog Appeals driven by local churches.
For years the Schoolies/Leavers have been calling the teams “the Red Frog crew”, and so, the name change is finally made official as the crew drops ‘Hotel Chaplaincy’ and take up the name fondly known across the globe today.
Andy is appointed official chaplain for the REDS Rugby.
#The start of a long and beautiful partnership.
“Andy had been asking me for a few years to come up, so I finally decided it was time to see what they did. We were on the knife edge of the donation being slashed so I had to see for myself. I couldn’t believe the power and the respect Red Frogs volunteers had earned from not only the school kids but the service teams – police, ambulance, security. Red Frogs were making a difference, each and every night, keeping kids safe. I couldn’t believe Nestle was on the verge of cutting off this donation – I had to spread the word at Nestle HQ and I had to do it quickly.
Sitting on the plane flying back to Sydney I wrote a long email to our head of confectionery Martin Brown and the then head of Marketing outlining what I had witnessed and the part that the little Allen’s red frog was playing to build a movement to keep kids safe during a time when emotions run high for school leavers. From that day, we began to build a strong relationship with Red Frogs sending up key heads of Businesses and the Allen’s Brand teams to witness the work Red Frogs is doing not only at Schoolies but also in university orientation weeks. We have built our donation from those early days when I got involved from 8 tonnes a year to now 24 tonnes. We are also working more closely with Andy and his team to build on and align with the good work Red Frogs is doing in the community. I’m proud to say that we’ve built a strong partnership with Red Frogs – something I’m sure will continue to grow well into the future.” – Anita Catalano, Allens (2004)
2006
2300 calls through to the Red Frogs Hotline.
In ‘06 Kristy Rigby and a small team take on what they refer to as “Schoolies on hyperdrive” aboard a P&O Cruise ship. 20 froggers to 1500 Schoolies, across 3 cruises. Phew.
Weekly skate sessions begin at the Godbowl.
Red Frogs education program reaching 150 schools nation-wide.
Red Frogs safeguarding 53 uni residential colleges with hydration stations, donuts, pancakes and a positive peer presence.
Frogs provide their first Festival response at Dreamscape Festival in Cairns, focusing on patron welfare and assisting emergency services. Red Frogs now support over 701,000 festival goers nationally each year including Australia’s largest festival, Splendour in the Grass.
2007
By ten years in we had reached 17 locations with 70,000+ Schoolies and over 1500 volunteers.
By 2007 the Red Frogs university program was serving in 75 res colleges and reaching over 30,000 university students. The university program was launched in WA.
Leadership training for Student Leaders launches, training young leaders around safe alcoholic events – and also how to hold non-alcoholic events that don’t suck! This has proven to be an integral part of shifting the unhealthy party culture on uni res colleges.
Red Frogs New Zealand Launches: The Red Frog Crew was invited to attend a University Resident Assistant training seminar followed by a large dance party on campus. From that night the Red Frog Crew received incredible feedback and demand for the program began to grow rapidly. Now the Red Frog Crew in Auckland has a constant presence in major events, universities and high schools.
2008
Throughout 2008 Red Frogs worked to consolidate branding and set up locations as the program expands to 17 Schoolies hot spots both internationally and nationally.
Red Frogs are now in 95% of Residential Halls/Colleges in Australia, helping to support students through some of the most challenging times they have so far faced in their lives.
“Just a short note to say thank you very much to the two volunteers that helped my son home at about 3.00 am on Wednesday morning. He had been at the beer garden and didn’t feel well and felt quite drunk. Two of your volunteers walked him back to his apartment at Q1. He felt unwell all the next day, throwing up, hallucinating, uncontrollable shaking and various other symptoms. He rang me in Melbourne at 2.30 am the following morning to say he was unwell and thought his drink had been spiked. He rang you guys and somehow you helped get him to the Gold Coast Hospital where they carried out various drug tests and he tested positive to faint signs of LSD liquid and other party drugs... Once again thank you very much you may have saved my sons life.” – Parent, Gold Coast Schoolies
2009
Optus/Network Communications begin donating 5% of every mobile phone plan bill towards RF through their charity plan. Previously getting by on donations and self-fundraising, the Mobile Charity Plan quickly became the primary source of monetary support towards the ongoing Red Frog programs and allows RF to better resource their response in many areas of the community.
Red Frogs join Facebook and rocket to 20,000 likes in the first Schoolies period.
Byron Bay Schoolies response started, run by Red Frogger Dan Joy.
In early 2009 a conversation between Red Frogs Australia and Beachhouse South Africa began, and the Red Frogs program was adapted to the South African context for the launch of Red Frogs South Africa during matric holiday that same year.
2010
Andy attends as a guest speaker at the NAAUC (National Association of Australian University Colleges) Conference and Red Frogs goes from 17 uni halls to 143 within 8 months.
Red Frogs now have volunteer teams available nation-wide, supporting approximately 90% of residential colleges and halls.
Word of the NZ Red Frog Crew and the work being done by the volunteers spread quickly and in 2010 Red Frogs Support Network were presented with a Community Safety Award by Auckland City Council.
2011
Penny begin generously donating boards towards Boardriders and University programs, hooking up students with Penny/Zflex Skateboards. Penny are still one of the major supporters of the Red Frog Boardriders Program and are helping provide infrastructure in the development of this program.
Red Frogs Support Network Canada launches.
Red Frogs go to Fiji.
#Jot Lynas, Unleashed Managing Director (2011)
“We had a serious situation a few years ago whereby a student was having dark thoughts and wanted to end their life. The Red Frogs stayed with this person every minute of the evening and through the night until we could escort them back to the airport and on a plane back to Australia to reunite them with their parents and seek professional help. Another situation we have had was a student’s mother had decided her daughter was not welcome home on her return to Australia. Red Frogs worked tirelessly to ensure that the student had someone picking her up from the airport and taking her to a safe place to stay on return to Australia. This was very distressing for the student but the Frogs made her feel really comfortable and a strong bond was formed.”
2012
2012 was the year we farewelled the great Pastor Simon Campbell – one of the founding members of what has now become the Red Frogs Australia Support Network. Simon was one of the driving forces in initiating and pioneering this amazing program which has now had ripple effects all around the world, impacting millions of young people.
“After my first year doing frogs – I stood up in front of my little church and encouraged others to volunteer… Only one person jumped on board… I ended up marrying her! Cheers Red Frogs!” – Brett Moller, Red Frogs volunteer
First Splendour in the Grass response.
2013
Realising the need for a greater patron management strategy amidst the Australian sporting culture, Cricket Australia engage Red Frogs to focus on patron welfare during matches. The results have been invaluable with less heat stroke, diversion of sledging and aggressive behaviour and reducing alcohol-related issues.
In a year Red Frogs assisted 564 different players, coaches and admin staff.
Red Frogs go to Bali to help take control of the growing number of Australian school leavers venturing overseas for their party celebrations. Red Frogs are now recognised as an integral part of the Bali Schoolies response by the Australian Consulate-General in preventing harm and minimising risk to young people.
2014
Through continued Year 12 education seminars in high schools across the nation since 2002, Red Frogs start to see a tangible shift in the party culture during Schoolies week that can be directly attributed to the education program. As the mindsets of young people towards partying begin to shift, the years to come would see the healthiest Schoolies celebrations on record.
“I’d just like to say thank you for keeping my step-daughter safe the other night. A young man tried to have his way with her. She was able to put him in his place and you were wonderful enough to walk her home and keep her safe. God bless you and your members. Keep up the brilliant work. Many thanks.” – Parent, Schoolies.
2015
Andy shares at TEDxSouthbank. Press 'Read More' to watch his TEDx Talk, "Why you should take candy from strangers."
Andy enters the Australian of the Year Honour Roll for his work in safeguarding the next generation, challenging the community to readjust its perceptions of youth culture and encouraging young people to make positive life choices.
“I can’t thank you guys enough for the help and support you guys gave us after our tragic morning at Falls Festival. You really helped us all get through what’s been the lowest moments of our lives. Just the talking to us that morning really helped us get our minds of what happened at least for a little bit. And thank you for the help in packing up tents and campsite. So from the bottom of our hearts we just want to thank you again.” – Festival-goer.
2016
In a world of high performance anxiety and pressure, Andy continues to have a positive peer presence on the sporting community – now acting as the Team Chaplain for the Reds Rugby team as well as the Brisbane Bullets.
The Godbowl facility dream becomes a reality with the wall built in the Epicentre and the outdoor section completed. Girls Only Session begins.
“Dear Red Frog, I wanted to say THANK YOU very much for your organization. My son and his friends were down in Rye for their schoolies. Unfortunately they were set upon by a very large mob of young men. Having your service gave them a safe option of getting back to their place safely. They were very distressed and in a little shock with their situation. My son actually handed his mobile to one of you male members so that I could speak to him for my piece of mind. He was very helpful and explained your service. Unfortunately their experience from the incident has cut short their celebration. So while I await their return I looked up “Red Frog” as I had never heard of this organisation. Again THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your services to one and all members involved.” – Parent, Rye Schoolies (VIC)
2017
20 years of the Frog!
Now reaching 1.2 million people annually through high schools, universities, sports, Schoolies/Leavers, leadership training, skate parks and music festivals, Red Frogs have had a lasting impact on a generation and will continue to safeguard the next generation in the years to come.
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to Red Frogs. I forgot the ladies who supported me when I came crying to the tent at schoolies Gold Coast 2016. I felt like I had someone to talk to and didn’t feel alone. The lady who first sat with me was absolutely so helpful. I forgot her name but I’m thankful she gave me a hug and helped me calm down. After a while two international frogs came down and sat with me. I can only remember a lady named Katie. But one of the girls was from Brazil and one was from America. They both talked to me and honestly I felt so supported like I had no worries in the world. The girl from America gave me her jumper to wear. They eventually got a group of frogs together to take me home. If I didn’t have Red Frogs I don’t know what I would of done. Thank you so much.” – Melanie, Schoolie.
#2017
#CELEBRATING 20 YEARS – 'The Journey' Documentary
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to Red Frogs. I forgot the ladies who supported me when I came crying to the tent at schoolies Gold Coast 2016. I felt like I had someone to talkto and didn’t feel alone. The lady who first sat with me was absolutelyso helpful. I forgot her name but I’m thankful she gave me a hug and helped me calm down. After a while two international frogs came down andsat with me. I can only remember a lady named Katie. But one of the girls was from Brazil and one was from America. They both talked to me and honestly I felt so supported like I had no worries in the world. Thegirl from America gave me her jumper to wear. They eventually got a group of frogs together to take me home. If I didn’t have Red Frogs I don’t know what I would of done. Thank you so much.” – Melanie, Schoolie.
#And the story continues!
2018
In Western Australia, we have our first ever 'live in' team at O Week. Our Froggers stayed on campus for 6 nights at UniHall to support Freshers through their transition from High School to University!
Our new and improved website (aka this one) was first launch in 2018 thanks to Bigfish.tv!
2019
In 2019, we spoke to 60,100 High School students - equipping them to make good choices as they navigate Year 12 celebrations!
Our partnership with UniLodge became offical in 2019.
Boss Frog donned his sneakers to take part in the Tough Mudder challenge and raise crucial funds for Red Frogs services.
Not only this, the Lord Mayor awarded Boss Frog with keys to the City of Brisbane for his incredible achievements and contributions towards safeguarding young people.
2020
The year that COVID-19 took over the world! This saw Red Frogs pivot to online modes of connection across Universities, Education Programs, and more. You could find our University volunteers playing online boardgames via zoom with College students almost every week!
This was also the year that Schoolies was "cancelled." In Queensland, a bunch of Froggers headed up to Noosa where the Year 12 students were celebrating the end of their schooling. Our amazing Red Frogs WA team officially began leading the Leavers Safety Response.
2021
2021 was a big year for Red Frogs as the USA (Nashville) and France (Montpellier) locations officially launched!
Boss Frog was recognised as the Westfield Garden City Local Hero. What a legend!?!
2022
2022... officially 25 years of the Frog! There's plenty of things in store this coming year as we navigate a Post-Covid-19 world. Jump on board and support us raising funds for sexual assault prevent through Australia's Longest Walk Home, celebrate and reminisce on the past 25 years at our Gala Dinner this year, or say hello to us at events that have now restarted since the pandemic.
On a bittersweet note, this year we said farewell to WA State Director of 16 YEARS, Hayden Glass, as he starts a new chapter. A big thank you for standing in the gap for a generation when they needed it most!
