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For our Woolworths Drayton store manager, Christmas and Easter can come and go but the ultimate festive moment always arrives in September...

When the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers rolls into town, Adrian leads the way for the Woolworths team to design and build a float for the Grand Central Floral Parade. 

To put the event into context, in previous years the Carnival has attracted more visitors than the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival.

This year’s theme - Create a Buzz - called for something special. Woolworths’ local Queensland floral supplier Pine Valley Flowers helped bring 400 potted plants, 150 bouquets and thousands of individual blooms, grasses and leaves to decorate the float. Capilano - a proud Queensland honey supplier - also offered their very own PhoeBee mascot for the event. 

Olivia, an endangered loggerhead turtle being released back into the sea after being cared for by Native Animal Rescue Broome with the support of WIRES X Woolworth Food Support Program. 29th April 2023. Photograph Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths
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In the final days before the parade it was all hands on deck for the team, putting the final touches on their magnificent float. And the final result was something special, fit for the very special guests that would be riding on board. 

Children of local team members ride along each year, along with families from the Children’s Hospital Foundation. This year, Lachlan Reed and Stella Holgate were joined by their families as the float drove through the main streets of Toowoomba on Saturday 16 September. 

The Parade was a smashing success for the team this year, winning Best Corporate Entry and Grand Champion. But best of all was the $4,000 raised for the Children’s Hospital Foundation through the sale of flowers, specially designed team shirts and the donated prize money. 

Olivia, an endangered loggerhead turtle being released back into the sea after being cared for by Native Animal Rescue Broome with the support of WIRES X Woolworth Food Support Program. 29th April 2023. Photograph Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

Adrian said, “the Carnival is an exciting time of the year for the entire Toowoomba team. The town comes alive as spring kicks in, and the parks and gardens are a national treasure that sees visitors from across the nation and even around the world calling in.

“Bringing the float to life each year is a special moment for myself and the team. We’re proud to be able to support the Children’s Hospital Foundation in all the work that they do through the sale of the flowers and the specially designed shirts that our team members wear each year.”

Congratulations to the Drayton team. They really were the bees knees of this year’s Carnival. 

 

Read more about what goes on behind the counter at Woolwoths Group on our blog - Check it out.