The Russell Island Giggle and Craft group are contributing to a major initiative that will provide One Million Stars To End Violence.
The ladies, who meet every Monday between 9 am and 12 noon at the Russell Island Community Centre in Jackson Road, have been beavering away with groups from all over Australia to contribute to the campaign.
The goal is to weave one million paper stars to be displayed in an art installation at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The project's catalyst is Maryann Talia Pau, an artist who started it as a personal response to the brutal rape and murder of Victorian woman, Jill Meagher, in 2012.
The paper stars are created as symbols of light, courage and solidarity to end all forms of violence, including violence against women, bullying and racism.
Ms Talia Pau started the project to show there was something everyone could do to raise awareness and help combat violence in the community.
The Giggle and Craft group on Russell heard about the campaign, and decided to participate.
"We are about different forms of craft, and we reckoned we could make a contribution," says group spokesperson Lynne Davidson.
"Violence and domestic violence is unfortunately everywhere in society, even on our islands, and because we are involved with craft, we thought it was a natural fit for our group," she told The Friendly Bay Islander.
The Giggle and Craft group try all forms of craft, with varying degrees of success.
"It is about having fun, meeting friends and learning a skill. It is a lot of fun and we have up to nearly 40 here on some Mondays," Lynne added.
The group was started on Russell Island about 15 years ago with one of the 'originals' Joan Moser, still involved.
The display at the Commonwealth Games will be a centrepiece and the stars from the Giggle and Craft girls will play a small, but important part.
The project is the first cultural and community collaboration for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with the Queensland Government partnering with Maryann Talia Pau and the hundreds of volunteers and their millions of stars!
• Giggle and Craft girls Ann Maidment, Dorothy MacMullan, Lillian Du-Shane and Lynette Davidson
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