July 13, 2018
There may not be pig-racing this year, but the infamous dunk tank will be back and there’ll be lots of local VIPs tempting you to get them wet at the annual RACQ LifeFlight Family Fun Day on Saturday, August 18.
The event was started last year by Kingaroy man Cardell Turner to thank LifeFlight for saving his life after he had a bad motorcycle crash in September 2016.
The day raised an astonishing $14,000 for the helicopter rescue service.
Cardell says he wants to beat that figure this year.
And to do that, the program has changed location and been expanded …
To kick this year’s event off, a three-course dinner and charity auction will be held at Kingaroy Showgrounds the night before (August 17).
Apart from great food, it will feature live music from five-piece local band Skin’n’Bone and a charity auction that will include a volleyball signed by Taliqua Clancy and her team-mate Mariafe Artacho del Solar, as well as a professionally framed official 2018 Commonwealth Games bikini signed by Taliqua, too.
There’ll also be a two-night stay for two at Moffatdale’s Hidden Gold Homestead on offer as a raffle prize.
The Family Fun Day will kick off at 9:00am the next morning with a Teddy Bear’s Picnic for children near Cheers Triangle in the showgrounds.
This will be followed at 10:00am with an official opening by Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and Cherbourg Mayor Arnold Murray, who’ll also perform a Welcome To Country, and then a LifeLine Recipients Walk where people who’ve benefitted from the rescue service can take part to say thanks.
After this, those with an athletic bent can take part in the Bill Hull Top Gun Challenge, tackling an obstacle course, a two-person Mazda BT50 ute pull and a team tug-o-war.
Students, teachers, emergency services personnel, businesses and members of the public will all be vying for a trophy in each section, as well as a perpetual trophy for the best overall performance on the day.
People without athletic ambitions will be able to browse Kingaroy Rotary’s Friendship Markets (which will be running all day) or cast their eyes over a show’n’shine where the $5 entry fee will put exhibitors in the running for a $300 prize from Shannon’s Insurance.
Children can have fun with face painting, fairy floss, jumping castles and merry-go-rounds, while adults can have a go at dunking local VIPs at $5 for three throws.
This year, dunking tank targets include Kingaroy police OIC David Tierney (in uniform), former police prosecutor Wayne Bushell, Cr Gavin Jones, Peta Clarkson from Goodstart Early Learning and KSHS maths teacher Gerard Faulkner, plus many more.
There’ll also be displays by St John’s Lutheran School’s whipcracking team, Ally Walker Dance Academy and Kingaroy Dance Academy, along with the Lions and Rotary Clubs and the QCWA.
After lunch, popular local duo Risa will be taking to the stage to round out the day and at 3:00pm, a bar and barbecue will open and the day’s prizes will be presented before things wind down about 5:00pm.
Cardell said apart from raising money for LifeFlight, the key aim of the day was to provide eight non-stop hours of inexpensive family fun, as well as help promote the region’s many not-for profit groups.
He said LifeFlight served the South Burnett’s communities very well, and so did the many volunteer groups in the region.
“So this day isn’t about Kingaroy, it’s about our whole community and I hope we get people coming from every town and village,” he said.
Tickets to Friday night’s LifeFlight Dinner are $75 per person, $400 for a table of 6 or $750 for a table of 12, and can be bought from Kingaroy Office Central or the Bill Hull Car Centre.
The Family Fun Day is free but there are registration fees to take part in the Bill Hull Mazda Top Gun Challenge or the Show’n’shine – all of which, of course, will go to LifeFlight.
More details about the Family Fun Day can be found on their Facebook page
Related articles:
Does it cost to enter?
No, entry to the day is free – but there is a fee if you want to participate in some events, such as the Show & Shine, the athletic competitions or the dunking tosses. UPDATE … sorry, it’s by gold coin donation (all funds to LifeFlight)