A week for everyone to celebrate

PINPOINTING PLANS: Ballina Shire Council social planner Robert Kenk (left) discusses Ballina’s NAIDOC Week program with council Aboriginal community liaison officer Darrell Creighton and David Kapeen at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery.

Doug Eaton

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• Family fun for NAIDOC Week

A LOT of effort has gone into organising this year's NAIDOC Week in Ballina, and Darrell Creighton thinks it will be the biggest event yet.

As Ballina Shire Council's Aboriginal community liaison officer, he's looking forward to the celebrations.

“This year the council has worked very closely with the Bullinah Goori Services Action Group,” he said. “We want to get the whole community involved.”

And it's shaping up to be a success. With NAIDOC Week falling during the school term this year, hundreds of students are expected to participate.

Monday's traditional 'celebration walk' from the Ballina RSL Club to the Ballina Visitor Information Centre, starting at 9.30am, is likely to be the most popular NAIDOC event.

“We encourage anyone and everyone to come along,” Mr Creighton said.

“Ballina's NAIDOC Week celebrations are probably the biggest on the whole North Coast and we are very proud of that.”

David Kapeen, from the Bullinah Goori Services Action Group, said NAIDOC Week was for the entire community.

“This doesn't just belong to Aboriginal people - it belongs to everyone,” he said.

“We want people to support what we do.

“NAIDOC went from being just a one-day celebration to a whole week, so that shows how important it is.

“Aboriginal people now have an impact across the whole of society.

“This year's theme - Honouring Our Elders, Nuturing Our Youth - is not specific to Aboriginal people.

“NAIDOC means a hell of a lot to us and we just want to showcase our achievements.”

The council's social planner, Robert Kenk, said flyers detailing the NAIDOC Week activities would be delivered to every house within the shire before the end of the week.

For more information, visit the website at www.ballina.nsw.gov.au