Strap on your skates at Noosa Civic

Zack and Ava Gurry with Noosa Civic''s Brian Turner.

The Sunshine Coast may not be a popular winter destination for ice and snow, however kids visiting Noosa Civic this July will experience the magic of ice skating and snowflakes while raising funds to grant wishes to sick children through Make-A-Wish.

Noosa Civic centre manager Monica Lord said the school holiday activity will offer kids the opportunity to get on the ice thanks to a synthetic ice skating rink and snow machine which will be set up at the centre from 2-13 July.

“While thousands visit our region during the winter months to enjoy the mild weather, we are bringing the feel of real winter here for Sunshine Coast kids to enjoy!” Ms Lord said.

“There is a certain magic to putting on the ice skates as snowflakes fall around you and bringing this initiative to Noosa allows the kids to enjoy some of the things winter is famous for.

“We are also delighted to be supporting Make-A-Wish with their great work in granting wishes to seriously ill children across Australia. Anything we can do to assist making a child’s wish come true will be fantastic, so we’re asking for a $5 donation for kids to enjoy our mini winter wonderland.”

Make-A-Wish Sunshine Coast Volunteer Branch President Rene Dolan said Noosa Civic’s ongoing support for the charity was very much appreciated and it was particularly fitting that the funds were being raised in exchange for putting smiles on children’s faces.

“We’re all about giving smiles so raising funds while local kids get to have fun and experience something unique on the Sunshine Coast is a great outcome for everyone,” Ms Dolan said.

“It’s thanks to the incredible support we get from the local community that we can grant wishes to seriously ill children who don’t have much to smile about. Six children are diagnosed with a critical disease every day in Australia and for these kids, the journey ahead is a long and difficult one.”

“Their wishes we grant can include everything from Audrey’s wish to see real snow for the first time, Abigail’s magical visit to Unicornland or Dan’s wish to head out to sea on a battleship.”

“The healing power of a wish cannot be underestimated and we are very grateful that Noosa Civic is helping to raise funds through this fun initiative.”

Make-A-Wish Australia was founded in 1985 and since then has granted over 9500 wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses aged between 3 and 18.

“At Noosa Civic we have always been committed to providing a fun, family-friendly environment and we’re delighted to support an organisation like Make-A-Wish who do such a fantastic job of changing kids’ lives,” Ms Lord said.

“We encourage families to come to the centre to enjoy the ice and snow while helping us make wishes become a reality.”

The synthetic ice rink and snow machine will be in operation from 10am-3pm daily between 2 July and 13 July. To find out more, please visit www.noosacivicshopping.com.au.