Sapphire Coast Buslines (SCB) has announced three winners for its Bendigo Community Bank Colour our Coast Bus Wrap competition.
Year 8 Eden Marine high school students Matilda Henderson and Arlie Richardson alongside Year 5 Eden public school student Keira Haenig finished as the top three in the competition.
SCB says that the judging panel had a tough time and spent much time deliberating on the winners.
The designs will now feature on SCB buses over the next three years. The three winners also received a $500 donation for each school’s art department plus a Mont Marte hand lettering and paint kit.
SCB managing director Jamie Klemm says the newly designed buses would welcome first-time cruise passengers arriving in Eden.
“I just think that the culmination of the Bendigo Community Bank as the sponsor, the schools getting involved, my team at SCB, Tim Wilson doing an amazing job with the install, it shows that it’s a complete community achievement,” Klemm says.
Bendigo Bank was announced as the major sponsor of the competition in late October. An SCB spokesperson says that Bendigo Bank’s generous support made the competition possible.
“Their ongoing commitment to our community is admirable, and we’re excited to collaborate with them on future projects in the Bega Valley,” the SCB spokesperson says.
The competition was open to all primary and high school students in the Bega Valley and encouraged young artists to showcase their creativity and skills by designing a bus wrap for Eden’s cruise ship shuttle buses.
Klemm says the cruise ship industry in Eden is an important part of the region’s economy and that the artwork would warmly welcome cruise passengers to Eden.
Klemm says the initiative is also an excellent example of how communities can collaborate and unite to promote their region’s strengths and charms.
SCB says it thanks Bendigo Bank for its support throughout the competition and says it partnership with them is one that can continue to promote and celebrate the arts in the Bega Valley community.