Matt Hewson
North Geelong Secondary College (NGSC) is gearing up for its annual multicultural festival at the end of the month.
The NGSC Multicultural Day Celebration, held on Friday, October 25, is an annual fundraising and community event that, in addition to the more than 1100 students and staff from the school, draws more than 3000 people each year.
The event will feature dance and music performances, carnival rides, food stalls and cooking demonstrations, with school students and families from over 80 different backgrounds sharing their culture with the wider community.
The day begins at 11am with an opening ceremony and guest speakers before opening to the public at noon.
NGSC teacher and event organiser Suzanne Henry said in addition to raising funds for school programs such as its Breakfast Club and numerous scholarships, the annual event had a significant positive impact on students.
“They absolutely love it; they love showing off their traditional costume and promoting the school,” Ms Henry said.
“They all get on board and they’re quite proud of all the individual cultural arts and foods. It’s really nice to see… everyone together, from all different cultures making it work, and that’s what we do basically. We bring people together.”
All students get involved in helping to run activities or stalls, whether using their skills in the henna tattoo booth or helping with the festival’s famed cake sale.
Ms Henry thanks the event’s supporters for helping the school celebrate its cultural diversity.
“The City of Greater Geelong is amazing, they’re supporting us with a skate park, a games truck and a photo booth, and Cultura is also amazing” she said.
