The coordinator of the spectacular Riverlights floating lanterns event at Granite Town has taken a week to get over the effort - but will never get over her gratitude to the community.
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The lanterns wowed the community, as Toby Whitelaw's stunning picture shows, on Friday, October 17.
Danielle Williams remains overwhelmed at how first volunteers - then the Eurobodalla - got behind the event on the Moruya River.
“No one could have prepared me for the 3000/4000 plus people that lined the banks to enjoy what has been a truly collaborative event,” Ms Williams said.
“It has been overwhelming to be a part of the good-will and generosity, cheerfulness and perseverance of this community.
“A Moruya resident summed it up: ‘The atmosphere was incredible - I have never seen so many people here before - it made me feel proud to be from Moruya’.
“Riverlights has engaged local artists, community members, musicians and water-craft people from beginning to end, and the result has been absolutely spectacular and beyond expectations.
“The idea was embraced by the Granite Town Committee as an event which had the potential to develop community spirit.
“It has most definitely done that.”
However, Ms Williams said a great idea was also a “logistical giant”.
“Heartfelt thanks go to the talented artists who had the vision to get involved,” she said.
“Their efforts and dedication were inspirational and the creations speak for themselves.
“However, rallying these wonderful artists to get involved in the design and workshop phase was a walk in the park compared to the rapidly apparent problem of where to run the workshops and where to store the lanterns.
“Without champions of the community, the project would have come unstuck before it had begun.
“Greg Malavey was the first to offer the lanterns a home – and it felt like a lifeline!”
Mr Malavey could not do it alone, and Moruya TAFE offered its canteen area.
“That became the primary work and storage space for the next two months,” Ms Williams said.
“It was a long time for students and staff of the TAFE to share their canteen space!
“As the sculptures advanced and students headed back to classes after the holidays, the call went out again – and again this wonderful community delivered, in the form of ‘white knight’ Grahame Greig.”
Cost was also a factor.
“How expensive could it be to make a few lanterns?” Ms Williams asked.
“Without the magnificent support received from local businesses and organisations, the answer is: ‘too expensive’.
“Once again, this amazing community took on the Riverlights concept and supported it.
“The generosity of Firefly Interiors and its proprietor Lisa McInally was instrumental.
“As workshops kicked off, it was the attendees, helpers and creators that not only gave of their time and energy every week to create the works, but also contributed to the donation jar.
“Yet again, the community came to the fore – this time in the form of Rotary and Keith Armstrong, who, in the midst of creating their own magnificent lantern, held an impromptu meeting and decided to contribute as an organisation to the project.”
Then there was the little task of ensuring the lanterns floated.
“Brendan Atkinson worked on the difficulties of getting these deceptively fragile creations, first stabilised on a base and then mounted on a pontoon strong enough to actually support their often unwieldy shapes,” Ms Williams said.
“It was a feat of engineering when you take into consideration wind, tide and forward motion!
“The team of 15 kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders – all community volunteers – were the final piece of the puzzle.
“Without their astounding efforts to bring these sculptures to life by providing them with motion, controlling what would otherwise have been a rapid disappearance out to sea on the tide, the event would have been non-existent.
“With very little preparation, these people arrived smiling and willing to tow the lanterns, often against the tide, for several hours – and then make them secure at the conclusion of the event.”
Ms Williams thanked Sue Donaldson and Glenn Hall for getting the team together.
She specially thanked Ainsley Scully who helped secure the lanterns and “dived in time and time again to ensure they didn’t end up out to sea”.
The event would not have been complete without music.
“The beautiful rendition of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – the song that inspired the creation of the lanterns - was the icing on the cake,” Ms Williams said.
“Arranged by renowned Aria-winning composer Sally Whitwell and sung in four-part harmony by the divine voices of Lauren, Georgie and Sylvie Williams and Poppy Zanderigo, it was perfect.
“I’m very glad this up-and-coming a cappella foursome got the opportunity to sing the piece in front of thousands again at the Katie Noonan concert at the Priory – and that Katie got to hear them sing her friend’s arrangement.
“It was a very special moment for the girls (and their mothers!).”
Ms Williams has appealed for a home for the lanterns, which she hoped would become a signature event for the annual festival.
“We hope in the future to have a designated space to run workshops and store creations,” she said.
“If you have such a space or know of a way in which this can be achieved, please let me know,” she said.
Email info@granitetown.com.au if you can help.
