This year the Have a Ball Foundation supported the third annual Lilla Sports and Story Telling Festival from 23 August to 26 August 2016 at Lilla, near Kings Canyon. The Foundation was represented by Garry, Tammy & Josh Hicks who flew up to the remote Aboriginal communities located in the Watarrka region. They were joined by 34 students from the Watarrka, Imanpa and Areyonga schools gathered with Aboriginal Elders and nearby community members to share in educational interactive games and activities.

After being smoked into Country with a Welcome to Country from the Lilla Elders, the Festival ran for three action packed days.

The Festival’s theme of “Healthy Body, Heathy Mind” involved key interactive workshops on:
•Health and nutrition with a special heart rate skipping demonstration from Chris from Remote Health;
•Literacy, language and improvisation, with acting classes led by Poetry in Action.
•Sports clinics were conducted with an athletics carnival, tug-o-war, cricket and AFL kicking completions led by NASCA.
A highlight this year was the use of the new Mountain “Fat Bikes” as part of the sports program. (The Watarrka Foundation this year provided 18 FAT Mountian Bikes to the Watarrka Primary School at Lilla)

The Festival included night time activities of camp fire drumming and art classes.
Kangaroo tail and damper made by the Elders for our last night dinner capped off a wonderful gathering.

The Watarrka Foundation would like to extend its thanks to the partnering organisations who made this Festival possible including Gadens, Westpac Bank, St George Foundation, CareerTrackers, Have a Ball Foundation, NASCA, Poetry in Action, NT AFL and NT Cricket and Remote Educational Tours.

In particular the passion and dedication of Reg Ramsden was fundamental to the success of this year’s Festival which according to Christine Munro, “was the best ever!”.

The Watarrka Foundation also thanks the Watarrka community, who warmly welcomed us onto Country and provide ongoing opportunities to continue to build meaningful relationships.

Special thanks to the Hicks family for doing such a great job on behalf of the Have a Ball Foundation and putting smiles on all the kids faces with new sports balls to play with.