The sudden loss of 17 year-old Isaac Lourie, who died in a ski-boat accident on the Williams River near Raymond Terrace earlier this year, left classmates and staff at Newcastle High School searching for a way to honour his memory.
"It is always difficult trying to find the right way to honour a member of the school community once they are passed," school principal Nathan Towney said.
"Lime Cordiale was one of Isaac’s favourite bands and we thought to have them to perform at our school formal in his honour would be something we'd never forget."
Unsure of how to make the idea come to fruition, the school reached out to the team at The Cambridge Hotel, who quickly got to work.
"It's one of those things you don't even question," Cambridge Hotel manager Dru Russell said.
"When the school asked if we could help, of course we were going to say yes. We contacted the band, who also agreed right away, and we were more than happy to cover all the production and manage the event to make sure it went perfectly.
"Overall, it was a great opportunity to help our community. They say music heals, so this was one way we could lend our support to a family and a school that was hurting."
The event, which took place on Friday, 23 November, allowed Isaac's classmates and staff at the school to honour his memory and celebrate the things he enjoyed most.
"Having Isaac's family here to celebrate with us made it even more special," Mr Towney said.
"The team at the Cambridge went above and beyond, not only to make the event happen, but to ensure the event was quality.
"Dru in particular was instrumental, liaising with the school and the band to work out the logistics of the concert. The Cambridge team were at our school hours before the gig setting up all of the sound and lighting and had it all packed away after the event.
"All of the team members were aware of why the event was taking place and how significant it was for our school community. They were extremely professional, friendly to staff, students and families and as a school we will be forever grateful for what they did for us."
