By Tania Phillips
With the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival now just over a year away the search is on for the “faces of the 2024” event with festival organizer beginning their search for Young Ambassador entrants and sponsors.
Festival vice-president and Young Ambassador director Samantha Wantling said the program is a longstanding part of the event starting as a Queen quest back in 1966 when the biennial event first started but now involving both young men and women.
“The Festival Young Ambassadors is a tradition of the festival – our lovely ’faces’ of the Festival, who play an important role in helping to raise funds to keep the Festival financially viable and alive well into the future,” Samantha said.
“Each Ambassador is sponsored by a business or organisation that supports their Ambassador in their Festival fundraising efforts.
“It is open for young both men and women between the ages of 18 (turning 18 in 2023) and 28. Married, single it doesn’t matter.
“A love for your community is probably the most important thing.”
The 2022 winner Jordan Cassidy said the event proved life changing giving her a better understanding of her hometown, Stanthorpe, as well as helping with her confidence and public speaking.
“I thought it was a great idea to begin with, but I couldn’t find a sponsor,” she explained.
“Then funnily enough my partner, who works at Taylor’s Family Produce, his mum said that Granite Belt Growers were looking to sponsor someone,” she said explaining how she got involved.
“We met up, had a chat and I called Sam a few days after and it went from there.
“I got so much out of it, it improved my organizational skills, I learned how to handle bank, how to talk with the general public, learning how to listen and take on advice. You meet so many incredible people and you get to experience so much and you actually grow new friendships from it.”
She said while she was born in Stanthorpe Hospital and grew up in the town doing the program gave her a whole new perspective.
“I don’t have any plans to leave now, I was planning on it before I got to know Stanthorpe but doing this ambassador program really made me realise how much we had to offer in the region.”
Jordan said she had made so many new friends and learned so much, she was now hoping to convince her friends to take part. She said it was good use of a gap year and something worthwhile to put on a CV.
Samantha said it was amazing to see the growth of Jordan and the other young ambassadors throughout her first year as the program’s director.
“After watching the complete transformations in all the ambassadors I am in awe of what they take away,” she said.
“Not only is it about confidence in themselves, but also understanding their region, all it has to offer, and how it has moulded us all as a community.
“We take the ambassadors on industry tours where they learn about the Granite Belt and its people and have such a fun time doing so.
“The Ambassadors and the program is the heart of the festival. It represents everything that this festival stands for. Every now and then you hear someone tell you that the program is outdated, but after watching last year crop of entrants, I know this part of the festival will be around for a long time, and am so proud to know that our region is in safe hands with the young people coming through.”
For more information call Samantha Wantling on 0439 420 289.
“I would be happy to meet up for coffee, better still, I can organise some of last year’s ambassadors to come along and they can answer all your questions and explain how much they gained,” she said of prospective entrants.
