The Inverell Shire Blue Ribbon Week celebrations were heralded a success by Inverell Shire Council management executive officer Joerg Schmidt-Liermann yesterday.
"We are delighted with the success of this year's events which have successfully targeted a broad cross-section of the community”, he said.
Mr Schmidt-Liermann said the first event of the week, the family triathlon, was strongly supported.
He said a rock concert held after the triathlon featuring local youth band "Knights of Rock” proved to be a popular attraction, and pleased a large crowd of both teenagers and adults.
Mr Schmidt-Liermann said one of the biggest hits of the week was the Dr John Anderson Memorial Lecture, delivered by renowned children's advocate, Barbara Holborow.
He said Barbara's address evoked a tremendous amount of emotion within the audience.
"It reminded everyone in attendance of the importance of taking community responsibility for the welfare of our most vulnerable community members, our children,” he said.
Barbara's address focused on the importance of youth within the community.
"I hate it when people talk about our children as our future, they are here now and they are important now.
"We need to take all necessary steps to support them and to educate them in a way that allows them to make informed choices and gives them the courage to say no to drugs”, she said.
Barbara also spoke to students from years 5 to 10 at Holy Trinity School, and Gum Flat, Gilgai and Delungra public schools.
Mr Schmidt-Liermann said she reminded students not to underestimate the incredible power of peer pressure and its potentially harmful consequences.
"If we could bottle peer pressure, then it would be enough to send a man to the moon”, she said.
Chairman of the Mayors Drug Advisory Committee John Irvine said he was extremely delighted with the community response to the Blue Ribbon Week events, especially the family triathlon.
"We know it will become a key social and sporting event during next year's Blue Ribbon Week celebrations.
© 2004 Inverell Times
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