Sophie Day is one of the Days of Ballandean, so becoming a Young Ambassador was probably always going to be on the cards. Community service just seems to be baked into that family’s DNA!
What might be a bit unexpected is that Sophie is still at school. But she’s 17 and, well, she just couldn’t wait even if it does make her one of the younger Young Ambassadors.
“Two of my aunties were Southern Belles when they went in it and my grandfather, Des Day, was president of the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival in 1982.
“The Apple and Grape has a very long association with my family. I want to be part of it.“
Sophie said her official sponsor was the Ballandean Hall ‘but the whole Ballandean community’ would be backing her … along with her school, St Jospeh’s School in Stanthorpe … and the Ballandean School as well.
Part of the work of Young Ambassadors is to raise money for the festival and the other part is to share knowledge of their district.
“My grandfather Des and his father started a farm at Ballandean and it was handed down to my Dad. I grew up where there were grapes and tomatoes and stonefruit being grown, so I got to learn that aspect of the district, but it’ll be good to learn another parts that I’m not as informed about.”
She said the farm still had some grapes and cattle but these days the Ballandean Tavern took a lot of the family’s time. Hers too, on weekends and school holidays.
“It will be a great opportunity to give back to the community I’ve lived in my whole life. And I’ll be able to get to know a lot of the locals a bit better, and work on my public speaking!“
Her fundraising efforts will include dinners, raffles, a Melbourne Cup function and other events at the hall.
The Ballandean Hall and Sports Club president John Cody is pleased to see an up-and-coming Day as the Hall’s Young Ambassador.
So is president of the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival Russell Wantling.
“It really isn’t a festival without a Ballandean Ambassador,” he said.
“Ballandean has an amazing track record with its Queens/Ambassadors over the years, and the walls of the Ballandean Hall are adorned with photographs that pay homage to festivals all the way back to 1966.
“To have Sophie, a member of the Day family, stand up to be a part of the festival and keep the Ballandean tradition alive is really something special.”
He said Sophie and her family had some amazing fund-raising ideas and he couldn’t wait to see them come to fruition.
There’s still time to join the Young Ambassadors program. Anyone interested in being a 2024 Young Ambassador or sponsoring a Young Ambassador can phone Apple and Grape Young Ambassador director Samantha Wantling on 0439 420 289 or co-director – and the reigning festival Ambassador – Jordan Cassidy on 0473 826 228.
