Beyond the event: What it means to us, to me

I first moved to Parkes in 2009: I was 24, single and not long out of university. I moved five hours away from everything and everyone I knew, spending my entire life until that point in Mount Warrigal near Shellharbour that had a rough population of almost 65,000. I had no idea where Parkes was when I accepted my first writing job, the cadet journalist position at the Parkes Champion Post, and only saw the town in the flesh the week before my first day. I’m embarrassed to admit - and please don’t hold it against me - I was expecting red dust and barely a building in sight, but that’s how little I knew what was beyond the mountains and Goulburn. To say my life in country NSW has opened my eyes is an understatement. What captured my heart almost immediately about this town was this community - the friendships, the way you look after one another and want to do things for each other, and all the fun you have in between. For years now I have watched and witnessed it all from every corner, and I’ve loved every bit of it. And for years, as a young woman who was still some years away from having children of her own, I would see families come together and children take part in all the spectacular events this community and so many selfless volunteers hold every year. I looked forward to a time, if it was ever to happen, to have my children involved in and enjoy such activities. One of these special events took place on Easter Sunday in Cooke Park. Parkes Generocity Church has been hosting a community Easter egg hunt every Easter for a number of years and this year I was able to bring along my two little girls, one is four years old, the other is two. Firstly, this gathering was huge - families filled the park, colourful hats and outfits, excited children and parents everywhere, the atmosphere was peaceful, loving and joyful. There was so much excitement in Cooke Park on Easter Sunday morning as a few hundred people attended Parkes Generocity Church's annual community Easter egg hunt. It was so well organised and it was for the community, free: sections of the park were divided into age groups for the egg hunt so it was fair for all, there was free coffee and sausage sizzle, and there were six or eight face painting stations that didn’t stop the entire time. There may have been 5000 eggs up for grabs but this was so much more than an Easter egg hunt. There were even older children who came up to my daughters and gave them some of their eggs because “they don’t have many eggs” they told me. Generocity’s minister Pastor Neil Walford said during the church service they held after the egg hunt that they put on this event because they wanted to do this for the community, to give back to the community. It took months of planning, led by Chloe Amery. And I was just so happy my daughters could be part of it. It's estimated more than 400 people in Parkes attended Sunday's Easter egg hunt put on especially for the community. It was the same joy I felt when I was finally able to see my girls attend our annual Paint The Town REaD Reading Day last year in August, an event I have been covering for many years. This event has the community and our children at its core - it’s run by volunteers and sees the participation of people from all areas in our town. From community groups and organisations, and local businesses to retired teachers and principals, high school students, parents and councillors. Even our mayor was singing and playing the guitar in front of hundreds of little eyes and ears while our former mayor put on a theatrical performance behind him with others. All this effort, time and passion so our children get the best start in life. The annual Paint The Town REaD Reading Day celebrates and promotes literacy and reading to your child from birth to kindergarten. From a mother who has been waiting a long time to experience these family moments, to watch my own children become part of this community and have as much fun as I have had these past 17 years, thank you. Thank you to each and every one of you who work so hard to put on an event for our children. I know you feel it’s worth all that work and how essential it is, but from someone outside looking in, it’s beyond that - the lessons, the influence and the memories are lifelong.