"Everyone loved them. We had amazing feedback. It was a nice contrast of experience and age and life experience as well," said organiser Rhiannon Curtis

The speakers were writer, author and screenwriter Kaneana May, innovation facilitator at RAW Innovation Anna Godfrey and performer and Taree High student Luca Saunders.

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A total of 161 attended the lunch, including 54 students from three high schools (Chatham High, Taree High and St Clare's), and raised $7726 to support Manning/Great Lakes families with a sick or injured child using Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW programs.

Rhiannon said while school students have attended in the past (this is the third year the event has been held at Club Taree), this year was the biggest number of schools and students they have had.

"We tried to have a range of speakers so someone in the audience could make a connection with someone and relate to them."

She said the real message that came from the speakers is that you can do anything you want to from the Manning Valley.

"We want people to see they can really do anything from where we are and we have successful people across the region doing amazing things.

"Some of those people even went to the high schools the students attend and have achieved great things," she said.

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