Christmas in Cooroy is unique in so many ways and one of those ways is the myriad of ways that it gives back to the community.
We aren’t just talking about the fact that it’s a free event which is a great gift to the community thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers, but also that it gives back in many other ways too.
The Noosa to Hinterland Plumbing Group is a big fund-raiser for the Leukaemia Foundation with a couple of thousand dollars raised each year.
This year the Cooroy Chamber of Commerce decided to purchase the orange bollards that are needed for the street closure.
These bollards have been increasingly difficult to source over past years and so the chamber decided to purchase them this year rather than hire them each year. But they also thought it was a bit of a shame for them to sit in storage for 12 months so they approached Cooroy SES to see if they had use for them throughout the year for traffic closures and other events.
SES will also store the bollards so they’d have easy access when they needed them. It’s a win all around and a great example of how this event gives back!
Christmas in Cooroy is also a fund-raiser for many community groups like Rotary Club of Cooroy and Cooroy Pomona Lions Club that have food stalls.
Other community groups and businesses gain valuable exposure by having a float in the street parade which puts their name in front of over 10,000 spectators and raises awareness for them.
The event also supports community groups like Noosa District Pipe Band and Cooroy SES with donations for their volunteer efforts at the event.
It also has economic return to local businesses.
Local suppliers are used to supporting the ethos of buying local to ensure money stays in the local community.
The decorations also bring lots of people into town throughout the festive season that shop locally to buy Christmas gifts for under their trees and food for their Christmas table.
Last but not least, is the community spirit that this event generates. It is absolutely joyous to see the smiles on faces, the pride that volunteers take in the event and the way that the whole community pulls together to produce something spectacularly special and just typical of Cooroy’s abundant community spirit.
