Record Crowds Sail Into Zonta’s International Women’s Day Celebration

The Burdekin community “cruised” into celebrations for International Women’s Day on Sunday, 8 March, with a whopping 175 people packed into the Memorial Hall to celebrate the region’s women, making it the best-attended iteration of the event in recent history.

Hosted by Zonta, the afternoon featured a “Cruise with Zonta” theme, which saw guests and hosts alike donning cruise-themed outfits and accessories.

Long-time Zonta member Inez Larsen said the organisation was pleased by the amount of support on the afternoon.

“This year’s turnout was fantastic; we were a bit overwhelmed, honestly,” said Larsen.

“The community support and interaction, especially dressing for the theme, really made the afternoon fun.”

The afternoon saw presentations from guest speakers Kathleen Noonan, journalist and Second Chance Programme volunteer, and Louise Nicholas, Senior Secondary Agricultural Science teacher and Agricultural Coordinator at Home Hill State High School, both sharing messages on community support, education, and addressing issues such as family violence and homelessness.

Larsen said she hopes guests were able to gain something from the afternoon.

“The UN theme was “give to gain,” and our speakers really encompassed that within their in their presentations,” she said.

“I think the key message was the importance of support, community support, family support, and the importance of respect within our community and within ourselves.”

Larsen thanked the event’s sponsors, particularly Burdekin Readers & Writers, and the local community for their support and enthusiasm in making International Women’s Day a spirited celebration.

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