Big crowds get insight into realities of war
A two-day Anzac event gave about 4000 people a chance to experience the sights and sounds of World War I.
The most popular part of Anzac in Action - a biennial event held at the Rangitata Island Aerodrome and featuring wartime memorabilia - was the historical reenactments held four times over the weekend, Go Geraldine ordinator Janene Adams said..
‘‘Without them we wouldn’t have the event we do. It’s very impressive and very loud and the crowd absolutely loves it.’’
The re-enactments gave people a chance to immerse themselves in the period, Adams said.
Vintage car clubs also brought vehicles along, offering visitors free rides.
’’People very generously pro- co- vided their time and vehicles to give the public a chance to experience these things,’’ Adams said.
After ‘‘collecting anecdotal data’’ she had found a lot of the people who came to the event were from Christchurch.
‘‘People have made the effort to travel down which has been fantastic,’’ she said.
Visitors had taken advantage of the sunny weather to set up picnics around the venue. ‘‘They were just soaking up the atmosphere.’’
Adams said the event drew many people in because it was a reasonable price and familyfriendly. ‘‘When you come in you don’t have to spend another penny ... As a family you can simply come together to learn about the period.’’
Adams said most of the money raised from the $15 admission fee and products sold from stalls was donated to community groups that helped out, with the rest going towards funding the next Anzac in Action.
‘‘We give it back to the community to thank them for their involvement and support,’’ she said. ‘‘We see it as an event that is run by the community for the community.’’
The event will next come around in 2020. ‘‘It’s a huge commitment,’’ Adams said. ‘‘We hold it every two years so we can keep it fresh.’’