Geckos to Celebrate 10th Birthday
G
ECKOS Family Centre, the
tri-service facility established
by then COMD 3Bde BRIG
John Caligari, will celebrate 10
years of operation this month.
Co-ordinator WO1 Nicky Rothwell
said the day on October 15 would be
a short celebration of the centre and
all it had achieved in its fi rst decade.
The centre has grown in popularity
as the years have rolled by... last
month Nicky said more than
500 children participated in the
school holiday activities at the
centre, a record number.
Across six mornings, the
children - mostly in the 5 years
to 12 years bracket - enjoyed
activities ranging from Grasshopper
Soccer to an obstacle course set
up at the Lavarack Barracks pool
by PTI SGT Shane Bramley.
The 10-year anniversary
celebrations would focus on
children’s activities and family.
10 | OCTOBER 2017
Nicky said Defence-support
agencies and companies had
thrown their support behind the
celebration and would set up stalls,
each off ering a diff erent children’s
activity - from face-painting to
wheelchair rugby on the tennis court.
And the 1RAR Acoustic Band
will perform, there will be PMV
rides, a jumping castle, petting
zoo, rock climbing and raffl es.
The party starts at 11am,
with a barbeque lunch fi ring
up not long after that.
Nicky said there was a minimum
of offi cial presentations, but,
importantly, they included
announcing the winners of the
three age categories in the Defence
Health Colouring-In competition.
Breaking with tradition a little
bit, she planned to invite two of
the youngest children present to
cut the 10th Anniversary Cake.
There will be one special presentation
and it will be made by one of the
co-ordinators of the Geckos Craft
Group, Defence spouse Renee Perkins,
to COMD 3Bde BRIG Chris Field.
She will present the Commander
with a 10-year commemorative quilt,
designed and manufactured by the
members of the craft group, led jointly
by Renee and Narelle Caligari.
The quilt has been a labour of
love for several months and was
the reason sewing machines
began to appear on the benches
at their regular craft mornings.
Entry is $10 per Defence family
(two adults and three children),
$5 for singles, or extra children
or guests of Defence families.
Bookings are essential to
make catering possible.
Visit trybooking.com/308264
and get in quickly because it will
close several days beforehand, or if
numbers reach capacity before then.