Cirque de Valley a grand success
22 Jun 10
This year to raise money for ourpreschool, the theme was 'CIRCUS' so we prepared for cirque de valley on June12th.
Click here for the full photo collection
In the build up there was graphicdesign by Zoe Georgiou, craft and decoration details by mums and major prep forthe silent and live auction began with Caroline Hill and myself as well asShelley Shine, Lyn Robinson and Rachelle Potter and the details andadministration of the master spreadsheet was all coordinated by a tirelessCaroline.
Guests arrived (many by courtesy busthanks to Kennedy's) and were greeted with outdoor fires and banjo playing byMark Hill. The street ice-cream men (frank and shiney) collected ticketsand then guest received their calico show bags filled with goodies and treats,including magazines, fudge, Selby's stubby holders, discounts and surprises anda 'complaint free world' silicone wrist band (they are designed to help us stopcomplaining - every time you complain you change wrists and you see if you canget to 21 days without changing wrists!). Guest then received popcorn, andlooked about the delightfully decorated hall - including no less than 150meters of bunting across the ceiling (sewn together by Tara Mackie!), hall balecircle (thanks Red Shed!), children's painting on the wall and toffee apples,and donuts and tapenades (KV Olives) and sourdough bread on the table, thanksto added support from the KVTA.
In a custom timber 'circus tent'built by Gav from Valley Woodcrafts, our fortune teller (Lyn Harnwell fromNowra Players) began to tell fortunes if you crossed her palm with silver andyou in turn received her wisdom and guide to the future as well as a treat fromthe Cake Store in Nowra. Meanwhile, others had their photo taken in thespecially designed photo booth complete with a hand painted 3m x 2m backdrop(painted to look like the poster) by Bev Filmer and photos were taken by SimoneO'Halloran and John Sinclair with help from Becca Biggs and is sponsored byB&K Camera House. The colour 6x8 photographs can be collected from B&Kin Junction St Nowra.
The silent and live auction displaywas a work of art this year. This year we had as much as we could in the formof vouchers to make the transactions easier and to encourage winners to go tothe business and see the business and it to be better all round. I asked a verywonderful Angela Sims to create a display box for each package and she was aLEGEND. What she made was so fantastic and professional and thanks to 
ChelseaSherbourne who helped with sourcing the business promotional information weneeded to do our donating businesses justice.
At the bar we had theprofessionalism and coordination of Patrick Powell the bearded lady, servingthe sponsored wine with our specially designed labels with business promotionand 'cirque de valley' label.
Meanwhile Shelley Shine and VickiBarger in corsets were our 'candy tray girls' with their lucky dip vouchers andGordon McDonald from Duck Duck Goose catering turned Robertson potatoes intothe most divine hot chips served in newspaper cones (thanks Cecily for makingthese!!) It was funny to watch people hanging out at the bar not just to makethe odd purchase of booze but to collect the next round of chips that appearedfrom the kitchen (100 kg of chips were served and devoured). The music began(Stu and I were DJ) with Nigel Anderson giving us the technical know how tomake it sound even better.
Then we had the tattoo parlor!offering a special Cirque De Valley temporary tattoo (thanks Bruce!) put on bya real tattoo artist, Bodie O'Leary. When I presented Bodie with the tin kettleand the sponge for applying the tattoos, he looked and laughed "so we aregoing old school" and I have enjoyed seeing the tattoos on peoplethroughout the week. Dinner was sausage sandwiches served by dodgy carni folk (Mick,Dion and Nickolas) and then began the hoola hoop competition....Linda fromThought sports drove from Sanctuary Point just to conduct this comp for us! andshe was awesome! We all gave it a go with the hope of winning the 'goldentrophy' (beautiful work Angela for your masterpiece) and then a giant hoolahoop was produced for the 'tandem' or 'dirty dancing' hoola hoop could beginfor 'couples'. That competition was won by fairy floss and a monkey, I can sayno more.
BUT, the surprise of the night andthe thing that has been most talked about was the feature that every preschoolfundraiser needs "Pole Dancers". Rachel and Melissa (aka scarlet laceand tigerlilly - I kid you not) from Perfect Pole Dance Studio did two amazingdance routines and had the crowd whooping and cheering in amazement and awe.They donated their time to promote the new business they are setting up inNowra (and there are many that are keen to sign up and there are many husbandsthat are keen that their wives sign up). They even left the two poles up formere mortals to have a go - which was just as much of a hit!!
The silent and live auction wrappedup and the winners were handed bags by Caroline complete with drawingson the bags done by the kids. The program that was produced (thanksto sponsorship from Lazyfish and Skye Dog) with the business numbers of thecontributors will continue to promote the businesses as they are handed outwith sales from One Wise Owl in Berry and Valley Woodcrafts. The ice-cream cartappeared with cornettos for all (thanks frank and shiney) and then the dancingand merriment continued and finished off with a fire twirling display. I was apart of every step, every step of the way, but the amount of help I havereceived was amazing and those who listened and helped and did the craziestcraft projects, cooking, and all the details that make an event - for this Ithank you. We raised about $13,000 and this was much needed money and I am sograteful to everyone who helped us to get to this goal.
Without the prep and the decoratingand the preparation of the show bags and the cooking that took all day - Bree -you poor darling - you made toffee apples ALL day. Ailsa is now 'popcorn woman'to me and Courtenay Russell and Chelsea Sherbourne who mastered the art of thefritter donuts - thank you thank you. Vicki and Shelley you were awesome and toCaroline - madam - you are the spreadsheet MASTER!
Finally, the mega clean up crew thatworked like dogs the next day to clean up including Vicki and Ed, Nigel, Taraand Bruce, Lisa and Nicolas, Tara and Dion, Frank and Mick, Ailsa Chittick andChad Pinney, Stu and I and my lovely Londoner friends who will think againbefore joining us and staying for the weekend Dean and Shelley Palmer. Donatedsourdough from 'Flour+Water+Salt' in Bowral and treats from the Cake Store inNowra, were offered to those who helped. I am sure in all my details and lists,i have forgotten people, but you know I am grateful and without you - therewould be no event. The plan now is to have a kid friendly (no booze and poledancers) CIRQUE De VALLEY and serve sausage sandwiches, ice-cream, issuetattoos and have face painting and hoola hooping. I will keep you posted.
The photos taken throughout thenight by our photographer at large, David Shepherd are being posted on theKangaroo Valley Community Website for all to enjoy. Thanks to our businessesthat donated food, prizes, time and their resources to this event. The program isstill on line for reference of businesses and their contact details to continueyour support to them.
On a personal note, I just wanted toadd my personal thanks to the community for the added support that Stuart, I,Poppy and Rose have received during what has been a very 'interesting time'.With the change in Stu's job and therefore need to find a home and stay in ourbeloved Kangaroo Valley was an initially very distressing time, but the wave ofsupport that came from colleagues and the community has strengthened and helpedus in so many ways. That support firmed our resolve not the leave the area, oruproot our children from the wonderful school and preschool. We moved into ournew home two weeks before the Winter Dance and thanks to those who helped mewith extra admin and support for the circus, Caroline, Cecily and Simone - manythanks. I also thank all of those who helped us move and with the Circus -Becca Biggs on decorations and photo booth and moral support and Mark Hassellthe legend helper and Live Auctioneer - thank you. I write to you from our newhome, looking down on the mist and what I know it is heaven. I have nowrealized that tourists come for the scenery, but it is the people that make youwant to stay.