Gunnedah's Winanga-Li Aboriginal Child and Family Centre hosted some extra special guests today, when artist Shannon Noll and Australian Ninja Warrior Jack Wilson visited.
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The two stars attended Winanga-Li's Quit B Fit event, which aims to encourage kids not to take up smoking. Mr Wilson spoke to the kids about a healthy lifestyle, and Noll performed a number of his songs for guests.
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Noll said he was "stoked to be able to [perform] and give back to regional communities" like Gunnedah.
"[Regional communities] get neglected a fair bit and unless they're doing shows out here they don't get out here a lot to see the people," Noll said.
"These events are really tangible and hands on so you can talk to and meet the people who are getting the benefits of these visits so it's a really good feeling."
Winanga-Li's centre manager Wayne Griffiths said the Quit B Fit ambassadors also spoke about "healthy lifestyles, giving up smoking, and adapting a new style of living".
"It's a roadshow of change for a lot of our Aboriginal families and vulnerable people in communities," Mr Griffiths said.
"You look at the cost of cigarette smoking these days and its very very high and it's not a very nice habit to pass onto our kids.
"It's something we want our children and community to understand that there are alternatives out there and you can move ahead."
Tackling Indigenous Smoking aims to promote healthy lifestyle choices, the risk factors associated with smoking, and how smoking increases the risk of chronic diseases. It also encourages community members to get active, eat nutritious food and not take up smoking, or ways to quit smoking.
- Quit B Fit
Students of all ages attended the event, which Mr Griffiths said was "to say there are alternatives in life [to smoking]".
From little ones at Mary Ranken Child Care Centre, to primary school aged children at GS Kidd Memorial School, to teens at Gunnedah High School, everyone got involved in the event.
The Quit B Fit program is responsible for delivering the federal government's Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) strategy in western & north western NSW.
TIS aims to promote healthy lifestyle choices, the risk factors associated with smoking, and how smoking increases the risk of chronic diseases. It also encourages community members to get active, eat nutritious food and not take up smoking, or ways to quit smoking.