By Tania Phillips
Nine young community members are about to learn a whole lot more about the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival, Stanthorpe and indeed the whole region as they take on the role of festival ambassadors.
The eight women and one young man are representing businesses across the area as they raise money to keep the festival, due to be held from 25 February to 6 March next year, thriving.
The Ambassadors and their sponsors for the 2020 Festival are Amy Colyer from Granite Belt Cleaning and Hospitality, Kelsey McGibbon – Little Larder, Laura Robertson Ballandean hall, Rachelle Todd Vincenzos, Makayla Doherty – Stanthorpe Mechanical and Wrecking, Karma O’Reilly – Stanthorpe Rotary, Jordan Cassidy – Granite Belt Crowers, Jasmin Ball – Cav Insure and Ben Green – Stanthorpe Veterinary Care.
It’s a big year to be a part of the Apple and Grape according to Festival president Russell Wantling – Stanthorpe’s 150th birthday and 20 years since the Ambassadors Program was launched – replacing the original Queens contest.
Russell said the Ambassadors had an important role to play in the future of the event.
“The Ambassadors program is really important to the festival for a number of reasons obviously the Ambassadors are a great fundraiser for the event,” he said.
“First and foremost they go out and they raise funds through events that they hold during an eight month period and that means that we have money in the bank for the next festival.
“What happened in 2020 we didn’t have an Ambassador Program so hence it was so important for us this time around both financially and for the morale of the town. It’s a real local part of the festival. The fact that the businesses get involved by sponsoring our young Ambassadors. That just brings the whole festival back to the local community. When you’ve got businesses that take such pivotal role in how it runs and they want to sponsor and the want to spend that time, it just means that the festival is looking to be a great success because you’ve got that community backing.”
He said it was also very important to get the next generation of the community involved in the event.
“We’re not going to be around forever and the festival is important to everybody but we need new blood and young blood to step up,” Russell explained.
“For us having nine ambassadors wanting to be part of the event just means that the festival is safe hands because they learn how it works. Whenever they are away from the community they’ll talk about the Apple and Grape and what their role is – that they are ambassadors – not just for the festival but for the whole community. So for us it’s important for them to understand what the festival is, what our community is and what their role is really talking about our community and this great event that we manage to pull together every two years.”
To find out what the Ambassadors are up to over the next few months head to the Apple & Grape Festival Friends and Volunteers facebook group.
