Published: 08 December 2017
Author: Stringer Clark

The spirit of Colac shines bright this Christmas

The Colac Stringer Clark office is one of many local businesses participating in a unique Christmas treasure hunt with 25 local schools.

The Colac Otway Shire is going to be shining brightly this festive season as almost 2500 stars have been handmade by school children and are being displayed in shop windows across the district.

This week we were privileged to display beautiful hand-crafted stars by South West Primary School students in our office front window. 

This campaign features a “lucky star” which will be on display in the window of  a participating business each week in Apollo Bay and Colac from 1 December until Christmas. Children are encouraged to search for a lucky gold star in each town each week.

So, we are looking forward to having lots of excited children passing by and calling in which will be a lot of fun for all involved. In our new location next to the chemist we have a lot of foot traffic stopping to look at the stars  which is fantastic.

We have had clients and colleagues comment on how lovely it is to see decorations made by the students, and this simple gesture is also successfully bringing the community together for Christmas.

A message from the Mayor

Mayor Joe McCracken said he could feel the spirit of Christmas in the air with the positive response the project received from both schools and businesses.

“We were pleased to invite schools to help brighten up the shire with their art, and thankful that every school across the district was willing to participate,” Mayor McCracken said.

“To then have the support of businesses who have generously offered to display the stars in their shop windows really highlights the beauty of living in a regional area and also the sense of community spirit we share.

“Not only does this project promote community pride, we also believe it will encourage families and friends to visit local businesses and shop locally during the Christmas season.

“We have thousands of children getting ready to create a starry Christmas throughout the district with businesses in Colac, Apollo Bay, Wye River, Forrest, Cororooke and Birregurra ready to hang stars.”

Happy star searching and wishing you all an enjoyable festive season

A full list of participating schools and businesses, along with details about the lucky star competition can be found at www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Upcoming-Events.