Hundreds gather at Bondi Beach for Christmas in a year of additional significance

Hundreds of people are gathering at Bondi Beach for an annual community Christmas lunch that's taken on additional significance this year.

Transcript

00:00Well, this event has humble beginnings about six years ago with a very simple aim at the start.

00:07To help make sure that nobody spends Christmas Day alone, afraid or hungry.

00:11And it's grown since that time to become a really significant event on the Christmas calendar,

00:16particularly in Sydney and here in Bondi Beach.

00:19It was started by a local surf lifesaver, Sebastian Cassie.

00:23And the volunteers in the kitchen in this building behind me have been very busy

00:27from early this morning preparing meals and they've also got live entertainment and gifts.

00:32They say everyone is welcome.

00:34Throughout the afternoon they're expecting 300 or more people to pass through their doors.

00:39Now this year there is an added significance because of the Bondi terror attack.

00:43The organisers say they were determined to still hold this event

00:46and really show how the community can come together to support each other as they continue to grieve.

00:52The community's hurting. I'm hurting. I was one of the first responders on the day.

00:56And I've had so many people reach out and say, look, is it still going on?

01:01Because we want to come together.

01:03And I actually met with some of the rabbis as well after some of the memorials that I attended.

01:08And their resounding message to me was the only way to conquer any kind of darkness

01:14that tried to tarnish our home is to put on events like this that shine a bright light,

01:21that as a community, that's not who we are.

01:24That tragedy isn't who we are. The hurt and the pain, that is not who we are.

01:28And we bounce back and we bounce back stronger and together.

01:32Even more than the other years it's important that we are here

01:34and that we are lending our beautiful surf club to such an event.

01:39The best way to fight these bad times is by doing good.

01:42Everyone just needs to step forward and, you know, live good, happy, positive lives.

01:47Now while that lunch is taking place in the surf club behind me, inside, outside,

01:52crowds are gathering at Bondi Beach.

01:54It was a relatively subdued start to the morning with not as many people around as you would expect.

01:59It's slightly cooler than usual from what you would expect this time of year.

02:03There's a bit of cloud coverage and a light breeze.

02:06But many people are still out and about with family and friends.

02:09Of course there are also a lot of tourists and visitors here hoping to enjoy a day at such an iconic location.