Newman’s local Martu Aboriginal community enjoyed their annual Christmas party on Tuesday December 20 at the Newman Aquatic Centre, with 100 young people and their families enjoying a beautiful lunch and even a visit from the jolly old man himself.
The event was made possible by the Newman Women’s Shelter and YMCA WA, in collaboration with the Shire of East Pilbara, World Vision Australia, Mission Australia, East Pilbara Independent Support, Save the Children, Empowering People in Communities and local BHP Billiton volunteers.
While this year’s party looked after a huge amount of people in the community, the support for the event hasn’t always been so significant.
“From the first Christmas Party in 2002, local support for this annual event or local Martu people has grown is paramount to the success of the day, strengthening the support for local youth who get to enjoy an afternoon of fun with their families and a visit from Santa,” Newman Women’s Shelter Manager Maggie Lewis said.
“In addition to this wonderful local collaboration, this year we very much welcome the support of FCM Travel and Virgin Australia who have provided beautiful gifts and their helping hands to make this day extra special.”
FCM Travel Regional General Manager Adrian Cooper said supporting the community is a key reason behind their involvement.
“It is an honour for my team to be here in Newman supporting the locals - it is our key focus to make a difference and we are committed as an organisation to provide support and be present with local activities throughout WA,” he said.
The event was filled with a lunch of cold chicken, ham and salad followed by fresh fruit and ice cream; and a mirthful Santa paid a visit dispersing treats from his bag of goodies, that was kindly flown up to the party by Virgin Australia.
Reflecting on the successful day and the enormous growth of the event and its sponsors, YMCA Newman Manager of Youth Services Jackie Bickendorf described it as an absolute joy for all.
Jackie and the team at YMCA Newman would like to thank everyone who made the day such a huge success, with a special mention to the Virgin and Travel Solutions volunteers for all of their help.
