Just a few of the excellent pieces our Sydney face-painter completed on the day.
New South Wales and the ACT
The event was held in a few locales around New South Wales and our nation's capital, with over 1,000 people taking part. Darren Simmons, NSW General Manager, describes Family Day as a way to say thanks to the families of our employees, the people we don't know as well, because they too are part of the extended Kennards Hire family. It was great to see partners and children meeting each other, playing games, enjoying the food and banter.
Rail Rutherford Branch legend Chris Clancy took things a step further, deciding he was going to use Family Day as a platform raise awareness about brain cancer. Prompted by the NRL Footy Show's "Beanie for Brain Cancer" round, Chris promised to paint his face as Shrek if he could get enough likes on his Facebook post, and managed to raise over $1,000 which was split evenly and donated to Carries Beanies 4 Brain Cancer and the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Chris Clancy followed through on his promise to become Shrek (and yes, that is his mate Donkey in the background!).
Queensland
Queensland's events took place at three venues across the state, with more than 420 attendees. The Brisbane metro and surrounding branches celebrated at the iconic Movie World, where the families enjoyed themselves from the get-go. With all of the rides and ice cream anyone could ask for, it was an epic day for everyone. The kids got their own treat with a special visit from old mates Bugs Bunny and Sylvester the Cat.
The crew from Cairns were treated to stunning weather, which they took advantage of for a fun filled day playing mini golf and testing their skills on the driving range. Further south, the Mackay team had a great time racing Go-Karts on Hamilton Island. The Townsville team decided to postpone due to the weather, though rumour has it they're cooking up something pretty special.
Everyone in attendance at the Queensland events had a great time, and really, it was the least we could do to thank our clan in the North East for their commitment to making Kennards Hire one family.
Victoria
For once, the temperamental weather in Victoria behaved itself. Attendees at the Melbourne Zoo celebrations were treated to a beautiful, warm autumn day. The young ones all enjoyed having their faces painted, and the quiz was enjoyed by all.
We had an amazing time at the zoo together and most stayed until the gates closed. It was a great family outing that will be hard to top next year.The Melbourne Zoo became a sea of these red Kennards Hire backpacks.
South Australia
South Australia's event took place at Cleland Wildlife Park in a picture perfect dining area set up among the gum trees. The park offered a great range of activities for the kids, which the adults seemed to enjoy just as much. The children got to get up close and personal with some of the animals, including a small army of them getting to hold a 15 foot snake.
Gareth Vines, General Manager of Kennards Hire's SA, recalls a highlight in young Tori Luczak's attempt at identifying a type of frog as "Brian". Rest assured that none of the Brian's in attendance were too upset about this. The South Australian branch of the Kennards Hire family got treated to a delicious BBQ, but not before a visit from Batman courtesy of our tireless face-painter.
Outside the main centres: Tasmania and New Zealand
The team down in Tasmania had a great day hiking the beautiful forests and national parks of Bruny Island - and boast the highest turnout of all Kennards' family day events, with 100 per cent of the staff in attendance!
Across the ditch in New Zealand, the Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton branches went head to head in bowling, laser tag and other activities at an indoor activity zone. The Wellington team went racing at Daytona Indoor Speedway, where a select few entered an 86-lap endurance race for the coveted prize of 12 months bragging rights. The team from Christchurch hit the Antarctic Centre, where they enjoyed the interactive exhibits and the opportunity to cuddle up to some Huskies.
...and a great day was had by all.
This was the first time Kennards Hire has closed operations across its entire branch network for Family Day. As a company with strong family values, we felt it completely necessary to give every employee a day off and provide them with a great opportunity to spend a day with their own family, as well as the spouses and children of those they work with.
The success of the Family Day events really pushes home the notion that we are One Family, and this family is Kennards Hire's greatest resource. That's why we're able to provide our customers with a unique service, not just in our industry, but across all of Australia and New Zealand.