HAVING the opportunity to fundraise for her community is the main reason why Leeton's Vicki Hester opted to take part in the Leeton SunRice Festival Ambassador Quest.
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Miss Hester is a born and bred Leeton resident and the festival and quest has always been something she's paid attention to over the years.
She's the current assistant manager at the Leeton Early Learning Centre and it was there she realised she could bring the quest into her workplace and beyond.
"I was already doing fundraisers for the centre anyway, so then when I saw the call for entrants pop up on Facebook, I thought 'why not take it to a larger community scale," Miss Hester said.
The Leeton Early Learning Centre is the committee behind Miss Hester for the quest, with the Leeton Community Op Shop her nominated charity.
While the op shop is a business of sorts, Miss Hester's fundraising will go towards ensuring the many vital programs being run there can continue on.
"I just really like what they do for the community," she said.
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"Especially with the pay-it-forward meals they have, how they support people who need it the most.
"It's a really good place."
The early learning centre as Miss Hester's committee will also receive a portion of the funds raised as a result, while in turn help the shire's young children in their developmental stage of life.
The quest is something Miss Hester has considered taking part in before.
"I almost did it the last time (in 2018)," she said.
"I was still doing uni, so I thought I would wait until I had finished that and then do it.
"I love the festival, especially the street parade. It's just a really fun atmosphere.
"I can't wait to be involved in it all as part of the quest."
By being part of the quest this time around, Miss Hester is looking forward to interacting with the wider community.
"When we do fundraisers here, it's really great, but it's going to be good now to take that outside of the centre and have the whole community involved," she said.
Miss Hester is one of five entrants in the quest this year and she already has many plans up her sleeve in terms of fundraising ideas.
She's hosting a "parents night off" movie night at the centre on Friday night where children can watch a film in a safe space while mum and dad enjoy some time together.
A pizza making day in January is already proving popular numbers-wise, while Miss Hester is also working on events for a wide range of age groups.
"We'll be trying to have something for everyone," Miss Hester said.
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