All kids ready for the show
FERRIS wheels, showbags, art and craft and what’s in the paddock will lure thousands through the gates for the annual Cairns Show starting today. Kennedy Pickett, 8, and Magic, a baby Boer goat, are two kids ready for all the fun and of course a dagwood dog or two.
THE Cairns Show Association is making sure nobody is left out of the fun as the show opens today.
Yesterday, members of the Show Association dropped by Cairns Hospital to deliver showbags to sick kids staying in the children’s ward.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service communications officer Lindsay McDonnell said it was a thoughtful gesture to bring one of each kind of showbag and let the kids chose which one they wanted.
“There’s kids in there that were planning to go to show and suddenly can’t because they had to go to hospital,” she said.
“It’s lovely, it brings the show to them, gives them a bit of a treat and just lightens up a boring day at hospital.”
Cairns Show Association secretary Carmen Ferreira said they brought along 30 showbags for the hospital nurses to hand out.
“We’re community-based, it’s a small way to give back to the community,” she said.
“The show is all about the children, it starts with them and they love it. So if they’re stuck in hospital, we can bring them that little bit of joy.”
Flynn Brown was admitted to hospital two days ago with an injured leg and an infection in his arm after a nasty fall.
“They were really kind, I got a Pokemon one and an army one,” he said.
“I have some antibiotics put into my arm at the moment and my hand’s bandaged up.”
Flynn’s mum Renee said the showbags put a smile on her son’s face.
“He had a rough few days – he went in and hasn’t been able to walk,” she said.
“Everything’s healing the way it’s supposed to now, and the showbags were just the cheering up he needed.”
The Earlville boy is expected to be discharged today, and is hoping he’ll be able to go to the show in person before it ends.