Winding Down and Gearing Up! 17-Dec-09

The year may be winding down but Red Dust is ‘all systems go’, gearing up for a massive new year in 2010.

As we pause to reflect on the past twelve months, we recall the highlights of 2009, and look forward to many more in the year ahead.

This past year was full of remarkable moments, ranging from large-scale events complete with media frenzies to the quiet, “little victory” moments when you know you’ve reached a child and made a difference, however small. Here are a few standouts of 2009:

New communities: Gapuwiyak and Galliwin’ku. Beautiful places, wonderful new friends.

Global Foundations Day event at DY Patil Stadium: 1200 children, 300 volunteers, 18 role models and one very hot Mumbai day! Awesome.

Vodafone/Grand Prix event: Bringing four indigenous children from Daly River to Melbourne, where they played backyard cricket with Shane Warne, Lewis Hamilton and Heikke Kovalainen. Even better were the under-the-radar moments of discovery for the kids, such as flying in a plane, staying in a big hotel, and visiting the Melbourne Zoo.

Kintore visit with Olympians: Our friends in Kintore were rapt to welcome Cathy Freeman and Leisel Jones, who joined fellow Olympians and Red Dust role models Linley Frame and Lara Davenport for an unforgettable visit.

Women’s Business: The four women listed above, along with the other women on the team, were invited to join special women’s ceremony in Kintore, performing sacred dances under the desert stars. Magic.

Pool Party: Still on the Kintore visit, the team banded together to prepare the pool for the special focus on swimming with the Olympians…they scrubbed and cleaned until midnight, with lots of laughs making it more fun than work!

Making soap, Fiji-style: Sometimes using the resources available makes an experience that much more rewarding! Melting soap in big pots over an open fire and using margarine tubs for moulds made for fun-filled and educational experience for all!

Walkabout Week: Engaging hundreds of Vodafone staff for an all-in fundraiser that also raised awareness of Red Dust and indigenous health issues. It will definitely become an annual event!

Bollywood scenes: Spontaneous fun, dancing and singing with boys and girls from the Pratham shelter homes…more magic moments!

Let it rain: Tropical rain-soaked games in Fiji villages, with non-stop smiles.