Media Release

Eurovision celebrated at Australian National University

An event sponsored by the National Europe Centre was held on the ANU campus to celebrate the 54th Eurovision song contest on 17 May.

Nina Markovic, organiser of the Eurovision event at the ANU said "We had a wonderful time, the charitable and amazing contribution from the European Commission, including the ‘sorry prizes' (the EU hats!) went to well-deserved winners, and we raised around $1000 for the Australian Children's Starlight Foundation."

PhD candidate at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the ANU, Lacy Davey, was the lucky winner of a balloon ride for two in the EU's balloon which graces the skies of Canberra.

Lucy says "For my first year in Canberra I lived in a college on the campus with students from all over the world, including a range of different European countries. Eurovision was an exciting event which we all became a part of, and now, after also spending time in Europe myself since then, it is an occasion that my friends and I look forward to celebrating. The Eurovision party this year at Teatro Vivaldi at the ANU was a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate all that is European in this unique contest - music, food and drink. The raffle and quiz added extra excitement to the night, and I was thrilled to win the balloon ride over Canberra! On my first morning in Canberra three years ago, I was on my way to my new office to start a PhD at the ANU and as I was crossing the Commonwealth Bridge I saw the most majestic hot air balloons floating by as the Australian flag was flying high on top of Parliament House. It was truly breathtaking and from that moment I knew that to mark the end of my PhD, I would take a hot air balloon ride over Canberra. In three months I will be submitting my thesis, and I am going to use this prize to fulfil that dream – thank you!"

Accompanying Lucy on her dream ride will be her twin sister.

For more on the EU's balloon, see http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/News&events/BalloonLaunch/index.htm