Albury Apex goes to the snow.
Last December the Apex Club of Albury hosted four refugee families who had recently settled in Albury at our family Christmas party. It was a fantastic day where we were able to welcome the new settlers to our community and the members of the Club were enriched by hearing their stories.
A few months ago I turned my thoughts to finding something else that the Club could do for this community. The program co-ordinator from Vinnies was really grateful to hear from the Club again and when I asked her what we could do to help out she responded, “Well they’ve never seen the snow”. This wasn’t a particularly surprising observation, given that the bulk of the families were from Sudan, but it seemed like the sort of challenge that our Club could handle.
After a few logistical setbacks, today we managed to take thirty new settlers to Mount Buffalo to see snow for the first time in their lives. I don’t think that I can really express what it was like to share the joy that they felt, but I do know that the deep sense of satisfaction that I have right now will certainly carry me for some time. Photos of the trip over the fold.
Yeah, Dave, that would have been some experience. I can just imagine their initial responses, whilst still traveling up the winding mountain road in the bus and the first little clumps began appearing.
Good Apex work.
Very moving, Dave, well done. And how fortunate that Buffalo is enjoying one of its best snow seasons ever, although it’s a shame there’s hardly any infrastructure. Did you go to the Chalet? I believe it’s been fenced off now and left deserted.
That’s great, Dave!
Ray, we went to Dingo Dell so that if the weather turned nasty we could use the shelter there. As it turned out it was a spectacular day.
jr, when they saw the first clumps of snow by the roadside there was a sense of “is this it?”, but once we got to the top of the mountain and they saw the fields covered with snow the excitement was palpable.
That’s awesome!
I remember the first time that I saw snow. The extended family hired a min-van and headed up for a day. My uncle challenged myself and my cousins to be the first to spot snow, the reward for the victor being a chocolate biscuit. I spotted it first, on a very distant hill, but the bastard gave everyone a biscuit. Jipped!
I trust that Apex was mores sensitive to the competitive urges of their charges. Good work Boy.
sounds like a great day Dave, looks like you should get some decent snow as well.
By the sounds a trip up the mountain over the last few years would reward you with a measly smattering of snow, not this year though.
Do-gooder!