On Tuesday 3rd July 2018, Inala Community House Community Engagement team was excited to participate in one of the biggest Brisbane youth events based in Inala – the 2018 Multicultural Youth Day!
From 10am to 3pm, the free public event coincided with the school holiday, held at PCYC Inala (37 Swallow Street, Inala).
Thousands of children, young people and families turned out in droves, enjoying the wide variety of free rides, activities, performances, entertainment and food available for the day.
Major rides included Dodgem Cars, Hurricane, Let’s Dance, Scrambler, Super Slide and Quad Bikes, Camel and Pony Rides, Petting Zoo, Reptile Display, Rock-climbing Wall, Bungy-Jumping. There were also Photobooth, Face-Painting, Roving Performers, Clowns, Superhero Characters, Police Displays, Stage Performers and more. The best of all – everything was free!
Food stalls were available celebrating food from different cultures such as Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, African and Latin American.
From the backstage: Inala Community House Community Engagement staff Larissa Vaiomanu (right) was in charge of coordinating music and performances according to the official program.
At the 11am opening ceremony, emcees Leanne and Joyce greeted the crowd – followed by an Acknowledgment of Country with an energetic didgeridoo performance by Ngutana-Lui Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre. Next, we enjoyed a special Mabuyag dance and singing performance in their native language.
The first speaker was Dan Nguyen from the event’s organising committee (Multicultural Community Network and Inala PCYC):
“We couldn’t be prouder to see everyone gathered today to celebrate harmony, happiness and peace. Today is all about having fun and connecting with our families, friends and community. We work with many Inala young people facing various life challenges and trauma, so today’s event is dedicated to improving their wellbeing and community connections. We are also teaching them to respect all cultures that contribute to the rich diversity in Inala – a wonderfully unique place for us to work and live in.
We would like to formally thank the generosity of our event sponsors: Queensland Government, PCYC Queensland, Bendigo Community Bank Acacia Ridge, Brisbane City Council, Accoras, Queensland Police Academy, participating community organisations (including Inala Community House) and all our volunteers.”
“Congratulations to Inala PCYC for today’s event, celebrating good health, harmony, cultural diversity and amazing community organisations. So pleased to represent the Queensland Government as a major sponsor committed to supporting our multicultural community,” said Honourable Charis Mullen MP, Member for Jordan representing Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe MP Minister for Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs.
“I would like to acknowledge the Inala Elders present today. Today’s event is important to celebrate the diversity of the community we live in. A special thank you to Queensland Police Service for committing your resources to serve Inala every day,” said Councillor Charles Strunk representing Lord Mayor.
“Today’s event is a shining example of our thriving multicultural community with a record crowd of about 7000 attendees. Thank you to Queensland Police Service for protecting and looking after our community. Thank you to our local police officers, police liaison officers and volunteers,” said Honourable Milton Dick MP, Member for Oxley.
“Today marks the 7th annual Multicultural Youth Day and we look forward to greater success next year,” said Superintendent Mick Neiland.
Besides committing our staff Larissa to backstage work, Inala Community House held a total of three information stalls in different locations during this large-scale event.
One of our information stalls offered Crazy Hair service, one selling Ethiopian food, one selling popcorn ($1 per bag) and snow cones ($3 each). All money raised will go towards helping unemployed asylum seeker mothers for childcare fees.
Inala Community House Community Engagement Manager Haley Kiata (wearing sunglasses) and our wonderful TAFE volunteers.
Special acknowledgments:
- Our volunteer Jonathan Beretta and his company Hilti for supporting community events and allowing staff to participate
- PCYC Inala for allowing us to use their equipment and organising the Crazy Hair service
- TAFE Inala (Deb Favier) and student volunteers
To contact Inala Community House team, 3372 1711 | info@ich.org.au | www.ich.org.au | Facebook.com/ICHAustralia.