Huge crowds turn up to support the MassKara Festival in Kilcoy

Recently our Kilcoy Anglicare team hosted the MassKara Festival in celebration of Senior’s Month with close to 1000 people attending on a bright sunny day.

Celebrated in the Philippines, the MassKara Festival was created to lift the spirits of the people and is a declaration that they will survive challenges that are faced and that smiles will return.

Many school students took part in the parade where they wore colourful masks and had a great time. Our clients from Kilcoy, Caboolture and Stafford joined in the celebration and were seen dancing and singing to the music while enjoying some culturally diverse food which was on offer.

Anglicare staff had a great time at the Masskara Festival in Kilcoy last week.

Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Kilcoy Lifestyle and Wellbeing Team Leader Lyn Greenstreet said the event was a huge success.

“I decided to run the MassKara event in celebration of Senior’s Month this year because of the large cultural diversity we have within the community,” she said.

“We had more than 500 students participate in the parade, and they all wore masks and had a wonderful time. We also had Anglicare clients from Kilcoy Community at Caboolture and Stafford come to join us and the residents at Aloaka joined us too.

Anglicare clients with their masks on in celebration of the Masskara Festival last week.

“The parade was vibrant, colourful, fun, and so interactive with all aged groups and it was really good to see the community turn out and support everybody.”

Afterwards everyone was invited to watch a short movie on the history of MassKara which was engaging and insightful.

Ms Greenstreet said she spoke to one of the Primary School Principals who said that 30 percent of their students are Filipino.

A special thanks to the Council on the Ageing (COTA) who helped fund the event and The Somerset Regional Council who supported the festival and allowed us to use the Information Centre and surrounding area at Yowie Park.

“Kilcoy Global Foods hosted the delicious barbeque, and they donated a carton of rump for the raffles which was greatly appreciated. Thank you to the Exchange Hotel, Kilcoy Pharmacy, Mitre 10, Ray White Realty, and members of the Kilcoy Community for your donations,” she said.

Our Anglicare staff enjoyed themselves at the recent Masskara Festival in Kilcoy last week.

“I would like to thank our sponsors, to the business houses that have volunteered for our raffles and to all the people who have made the effort to make a mask and join in the parade. I would like to thank the volunteers from the community that have helped run the day and to my staff who have been a huge support. Thank you everybody.”

Ms Greenstreet said she would love to see the MassKara Festival become an annual event In Kilcoy.

“We’re hoping it will continue from year to year and get bigger every year,” she said.