In front of a crowd of over 35,000 people, our float themed ‘Jailhouse Rock’, paraded down the streets of Coolangatta with crowd favourites, Us the Band performing their greatest rock ‘n’ roll hits. The award-winning design, led by the Murwillumbah Visual Arts group, was the product of 24 customers who invested over 400 hours into the planning, design and execution.

“The enjoyment gained, not to mention the recognition for all their hard work, is what makes an experience like this so worthwhile. It proves that when we set a goal, and we focus in on it, we can achieve anything.” said Bronwyn Mitchell, CEO.

In a coordinated effort, over 40 customers from our Chinderah, Tweed and Murwillumbah Hubs came together to play their role in the parade. They all worked together to deliver a performance that brought the float to life and captivated the crowd’s attention.

“I loved all the big motorbikes. I liked all the lots of people and it was fun to join in. My shoes hurt but I walked the whole way, and someone told me I looked beautiful. It was cool that everyone was clapping as we walked by.” said visual artist, Rebekah Sweetnam.

An experience like this is what the NDIS is all about. Participants develop capacity and they increase their involvement in the community and in mainstream events. Additionally, it fosters independence, integration and participation, and teaches the value of relationships and how to work together.

“I loved being involved in the street parade, strutting down the road doing my thing and all the people noticing me. The atmosphere was amazing and I got kissed by 2 Elvis’s at the same time. I’m really proud and excited that we won best float again for the second year in a row.” Jocelyn (LuLu) Smith

It was pure joy and excitement written on the faces of all our customers who attended. It was their moment in the spotlight and was so fantastic they we were rewarded at the end of it all.

Coming up soon, is the Murwillumbah Banana Festival which kicks off in August this year. Stay tuned for further details and how you can get involved.