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Aboriginal students rewarded with NYE VIP party

As Kylie Minogue, Leonardo DiCaprio and other celebrities gather around Sydney Harbour for New Year's Eve celebrations, five young Indigenous girls will be having the time of their lives at a VIP party.

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3 min read

Published

Updated

By Brooke Boney

Source: NITV News


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As Kylie Minogue, Leonardo DiCaprio and other celebrities gather around Sydney Harbour for New Year's Eve celebrations, five young Indigenous girls will be having the time of their lives at a VIP party.

The girls were invited by the Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore to the party because of their consistent hard work at school.

Later tonight five Aboriginal teenagers will have front row tickets to the biggest party in the World.

A VIP view of the annual multi-million dollar fireworks display, their reward for a year of academic success and full attendance at school.

The girls say they're most excited about seeing the fireworks display.

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Attracting more than 1.5 million people to the harbour, it's the biggest celebration for New Year's Eve in the world, and it'll be viewed by a billion people around the world.

The Lord Mayor was inspired to make the program permanent after she met a student from Aurukun last year.

"You'll remember DJ was here and he was here with his teacher," said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "He'd done a deal with his teacher that if he went to school everyday in Aurukun for the year he'd come down here and see our fireworks."

Now there are calls to take this initiative to the next level.

"We think this programs like this should be acknowledged right across Australia and implemented," said Aurukun school principal Patrick Mallet.

Tonight's display will cost about $5 per person around the harbour but these girls will have a million dollar view.

The overall pricetag on the night is $6.6 million dollars, which puts into perspective the $25 the Fred Hollows Foundation says can fix someone's sight.

The chief executive, Brian Doolan, says Australia is the only first world country that still has problems with Trauchoma, and it's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are suffering most.

"Australia being the only developed country in the world that still experiences Trauchoma which is endemic among some of the remote Indigenous communities," said Brian Doolan.

The Fred Hollows Foundation is the official charity partner tonight and Kylie Minogue helped design the fireworks.

The girls have a simple message for children who'd like to see the show next year: go to school.


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