Heartland joined the racing community down at the Yarra Valley Racing Centre. The Billy Carts returned for a fun afternoon at the track, we ran timed races to find the fastest young person in town!
Local Events
Heartland in the Community
Twilight market makes good sense
02 November 2015 4:10 PM .
Jack, 7, selling brownies for one dollar. 146160
By JESSE GRAHAM
YARRA Glen Primary School had an afternoon of activities for the community on Thursday 29 October, hosting its latest annual twilight market.
The market is organised by students and staff as an initiative to teach students about commerce, business and handling money – and is a chance for the community to come and take part in activities as the end of the year draws closer.
In the lead-up to the event, Heartland Church Pastor Mike Baimbridge said the event aimed to bring the town together for “a couple of hours of community celebration”, with hundreds expected to pass through the gates.
Mail photographer Rob Carew was at the event to capture the moments.
Jack, 7, selling brownies for one dollar. 146160 Pictures: ROB CAREW
Rachael, 7, left, and Lara, 6, in the sack race.
Yarra Glen CFA volunteer Hayley Boyd with Piper, 5, trying to guess the numbers of lollies in the fire helmet. 146160
School volunteer Tess Birchall, back left, with newly married Trish Bowers, right, who missed her honeymoon to be at the day’s event with student helpers, from left: York, Lily, Jordan, Sky, Abbie and Ryder. 146160
Kelly’s Kids Day
Kelly’s Kids Day, held at the McKenzie Reserve in Yarra Glen on Saturday 16 May, was “a success and a credit to the generous community we live in”
– Catherine Grbac, event organiser.
In partnership with the Yarra Glen Junior Football Club and Heartland Church, Catherine and her friends Niki Silverman and Michelle Gilmour felt the day would be the perfect tribute to their best friend, Kelly Crowley, who was tragically killed in a car accident with her son, Ethan, 9 on Labour Day earlier this year. The event sought to raise funds for the Kelly’s Kids Fund, a trust established by Catherine, Michelle and Niki to support Kelly’s daughters who survived the crash, Sierra, 6 and Tahli, 2.
“After a week of heavy rain, we were pleased that the weather turned out to be sunny and warm, as it felt like Kelly and Ethan were looking down on us and smiling” said Ms Grbac.
“The community had been amazing with donations and support in the lead up to the day, and their generosity continued by their participation on the day. We can’t say enough how grateful we are to everyone involved.”
An enormous raffle with over 30 hampers, a silent auction with countless vouchers, plants and other prizes and a live auction conducted by Integrity Real Estate agent William Verhagen resulted in a grand total of $18,658 being raised on the day.
Michelle Jones from Yarra Glen was over the moon when she won the first prize of a trailer from Michael’s Trailers, Healesville.
Catherine added “It would be such a long list to thank everyone individually, but we must also thank the mayor Cr Maria McCarthy, Cr Fiona McAllister and the Yarra Ranges Council. Without the grants they provided in addition to the work of countless volunteers from various other local businesses and organisations, the day wouldn’t have been possible” said Ms Grbac.
For more information, go to the Facebook page In Memory of Kelly and Ethan.
Bush Fire Memorial
It was at a moving unveiling of a memorial to the bushfires that so devastated parts of our community, that Heartland Pastor Mike Baimbridge was invited to speak recently. Mike was asked to speak on behalf of our Mayor Cr Fiona McAllister and as a member of the community. Other speakers included deputy Mayor Maria McCarthy, Wurundjeri Elder Joy Wandin-Murphy, artist Ernst Fries (pictured below) and Dale Ahern, who suffered the loss of his own parents in the Black Saturday tragedy. Mike spoke of the personal nature of recovery and healing, and that today’s unveiling doesn’t in any way end that journey, but rather does provide a place, a space to come, to sit, to reflect, to consider the enormity of what the 2009 fires meant for each of us, and to contemplate, as this art work depicts, how we continue to move from the wounds and scars that event left us, to that place of new growth, clear skies and fresh horizons.
Colour your world
Heartland church and Heartland’s own [Glen] Youth Group were able to partner with Yarra Ranges Council, Youth Services and Just Skate Boarding to implement the street art project at the Yarra Glen Skate Park. Street artist Jordy Bridge was able to integrate suggestions and designs from local young people into a project that took a patchwork of grey concrete and turn it into a bright and colourful place to hang out with friends while showing your skills on skateboard, BMX and scooter. The project has given young people in our town real ownership of the park, and adds to the other activities available in McKenzie Reserve.
