[Zoe Gillett, CMKA Enrolments Coordinator]
This year, CMKA were able to secure a stand at the Papakura Christmas Festival and Santa Parade at Bruce Pulman Park. This was a great opportunity to promote our kindergartens and early learning centres in the local Papakura community. We took several new enquiries for possible enrolments at different CMKA kindergartens and early learning centres during the event and handed out many leaflets for our various services.
Families gathered in impressive numbers to enjoy everything the event had to offer—and with 70 stalls and 19 food trucks, there was plenty to explore.
One of the most popular attractions of the day was our face painting station, where children lined up for colourful Christmas designs – thank you to Jess’s Joyful Faces. Our activity table was also a major hit, giving tamariki the chance to get creative by decorating wooden Christmas ornaments and crafting their own mini-Christmas tree wreaths using metal key rings and festive fabric strips. The joy on their faces said it all!
We were also thrilled to give away 100 goodie bags to children throughout the day—a small gesture that brought lots of smiles.
A big thank-you to everyone who supported our raffle—we sold 82 tickets and celebrated three very happy winners!
A heartfelt thank you to Pak’nSave Papakura, who generously donated $250 worth of fresh fruit for us to share with our community. Your support helped make the day even more special. We would also like to extend our warmest thanks to the amazing team members who helped bring the event to life:
- Melissa A (Takaanini Early Learning)
- Di (Papakura North Kindergarten)
- Anu (Alfriston Road Kindergarten)
- Mardi (Conifer Grove Kindergarten)
- Trish, Maria, Deana, Zoe, and Marianne (head office).
Your time, energy, and enthusiasm were truly appreciated.
This year’s event received exceptional support from Papakura and the surrounding community. The festival reflected the strong community spirit and seasonal celebration that make this time of year special. We look forward to participating again next year!
