Rotaract Rarotonga is gearing up for its annual Christmas in the Park event, which will be held on Thursday, December 14, at the National Auditorium.

The event, from 5pm to 8.30 pm, will feature live entertainment, yummy food stalls, children’s games and a lollies scramble, Santa’s corner and photos, face painting, bouncy castles, and will conclude with the much-anticipated fireworks.

Rotaract Rarotonga president Byron Brown and his team have been working tirelessly to put together a memorable Christmas in the Park, which has been running for over two decades.

“The aim of this event is to get the families especially kids together to celebrate Christmas. We want everyone to come together and enjoy the festivities that this season brings,” Brown said.

“It’s an annual affair and also a fundraiser for Rotaract Rarotonga to help finance the various community projects that we are looking to support in 2024.”

Organising an event of this magnitude requires a lot of manpower and funding, Brown said.

The budget, he explained, is around $7000, with a significant portion – about $4000 – allocated to the fireworks.

“That’s why we need the support from our sponsors. We are grateful and thankful to the sponsors that have come onboard and we’re hoping to secure more sponsors in the coming days. We thank them in advance for their consideration,” Brown said.

“There’s also an entry fee for the event – $4 for adults and free for children under five. The cover charge also helps us recover our expenses and raise money to support the upcoming community projects around the country.”

Rotaract Rarotonga also supports the outer islands in holding their own Christmas events by lending them inflatables and a variety of holiday decorations from their collection.

Last year the organisation helped Mangaia and Mitiaro and they are planning to support them again this year.

Rotaract Rarotonga has spots available for vendors who would like to sell food and refreshments at the event. Those interested can email them at rotaract.rarotonga@gmail.com.

“If you would like to volunteer at this year’s event, we would love to have you!  Free t-shirt, movie pass and some other vouchers will be available. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/9TNPvGC4aencFxhv6.”

Brown thanked the Rotaract executives, volunteers, who supported them last year and made themselves available this year, and Rotary Club of Rarotonga for their support in organising this year’s Christmas in the Park.

“We look forward to seeing you all celebrate another festive season together. See you on Thursday, December 14 at the National Auditorium!”