Video boost for popular gala
Fairfield Primary School is holding a comeback gala next week – its first since the outbreak of Covid-19 – and students at the school are helping to promote its return.
To help publicise the return of the popular gala, students had made a promotional video asking for parents to help out with activities and man stalls like the sausage sizzle.
The school had held massive galas in the past that had raised large amounts of money towards supplies and infrastructure – one year more than $20,000 was raised – but the annual event had been in hiatus since 2020.
Previous gala committees and parents had done an incredible job in organising successful events and the challenge now was to rekindle that school spirit.
Gala committee coordinator and teacher Sally Rollinson said the gala was a huge undertaking and the school was grateful to any parents and helpers who gave their time, both past and present.
“A lot of families involved and business involved move on and we had to ask is this something we can still do.
“In bringing it back it was a case of rebuilding those relationships and making those contacts. It really does take a village.”
Rollinson said the committee was buoyed by a good turnout to a meeting with a core group of volunteers wanting to give it a crack. The students were involved, too, and given free rein to make a promotional video.
“They wrote it, filmed it, edited it, and shared it on social media,” she said.
The gala had always appealed as a chance to have a night off cooking with a huge variety of food stalls available cooking hangi, nachos, fried rice, hamburgers, tacos, candy floss, bacon and egg butties, and the good ol’ sausage in bread with tomato sauce.
There was a deliberate effort made to keep meal prices reasonable and provide gluten-free and vegetarian options.
In the past galas had included helicopter rides, Harley Davidson rides, or the chance to smash up an old car with a sledgehammer.
This year promises the chance to win prizes with a soccer goal competition and “last one standing” competition, while other events include face painting, a scary tunnel, a big dig, an enchanted
forest, raffles and a prize wheel that includes three top prizes of $100.
The money raised this year would go towards covering a large deck outside the cramped school library so
students could have more space to read and learn.
The gala would be held at Fairfield School on the corner of MacArthur St and Fairfield Rd on March 20 between 5pm and 7pm.