By Dongyun Kwon
Healesville Connect will host a free family event on Thursday 11 January 2024.
The Queens Park Twilight Picnic is to bring the community together after Christmas with fun activities, games, entertainment and prizes.
Queens Park and its all facilities including the pool and the tennis court will be available during the event.
Healesville Connect admin coordinator Jane Judd said multiple community groups would show up to the event.
“We’ve got the CFA and the SES coming for people to be familiarised with emergency management,” she said.
“We’ve got information from Healesville CORE on energy and the disc plan group is coming to help people understand what to do in an emergency.”
The event will include activities and some free food including ice creams, cakes and sausage sizzles for a broad age range.
There will be music and artwork as well as games with free gifts.
“We’ve got jenga and connect 4 for adults and hula hoops and throwing bean bags for kids,” Ms Judd said.
“Although there will be some free food, people are encouraged to bring their own picnic food along and picnic rug.”
Healesville Connect aims to promote itself throughout the event.
The group was formed in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
“A lot of people left their town and moved in and when they arrived, they were in lockdown. There was no way they could connect or meet with people,” Ms Judd said.
“So the group set up and did the Welcome to Healesville session by Zoom and there was a really positive response to that.
“We just tried to introduce them to the positive community that they’d come to.”
Ms Judd said the group organised the event thanks to the local community.
“We knocked on doors and asked if people were willing to make a donation of something that could be used as a prize,” she said.
“We were absolutely inundated with really generous gifts from all the local businesses in town.
“Yarra Valley Recovery Committee provided us with $2000 to put forward the event.”
People still can make a donation by reaching out to Anne, one of the Healesville Connect admin coordinators, through phone call at 0417 634 093 or email to healesvilleconnect@gmail.com.
