Some of Winmalee High School’s Foundation Day volunteers, from left, Sophie Peterson, Bradley Cameron, Tom Matthews, Eamonn Briggs and Tom Gilbert.
They’re as much a Foundation Day tradition as the grand parade and great live entertainment — and they’ll be back again in Springwood this year.
About 40 students from Winmalee High School will ensure the annual event runs smoothly this Saturday, volunteering from 6am to 6pm on a range of tasks from helping stallholders set-up to emptying bins, serving Devonshire teas and marshalling the parade.
Despite the long hours, the students look forward to their Foundation Day duties.
“It’s a pretty enjoyable day with your friends.
“You see lot of people that you know and they give you a pat on the back,” said Bradley Cameron.
Winmalee High School will also have its presence felt when student Anja Nissen performs at 11am. Anja was a semi-finalist on the television show Australia’s Got Talent when she was 12 years old and has sung for Princess Mary of Denmark and Prince Edward of England as well as in the farewell ceremony at the Australian Youth Olympics.
Captains from Winmalee, Springwood and St Columba’s High Schools will act as MCs on the Foundation Day stages.
Thousands of people will pack Macquarie Road — which is closed off to the public from 8am to 4pm — this Saturday to see live entertainment, buskers, floats, dance and art displays, street stalls, the famous Springwood Dash, the grand parade and this year the “Farewell to Springwood” — the closing of the old civic centre.
One of the highlights in the grand parade this year will be explorers and horse-drawn sulkies taking to the main street to mark the Bicentenary of the Crossing of the Mountains.
The opening ceremony will take place at the Lister and Cole main stage at 10.30am.
Senator Doug Cameron and other local dignitaries will address the crowd and also present Volunteer of the Year awards.