Radar went along to a Japanese-themed picnic event organised by fourth year Events Management students.
The Cherry Blossom Picnic Event was organised by the 4th year Events Management students from RGU. This event was to raise funds and awareness for the charity, CLAN cancer support. CLAN is a charity that helps those affected by cancer, in the North East of Scotland, by offering practical and emotional support, aiming to give people a better quality of life.
The indoor picnic was held at the Hazelhead park café with entertainment, talks, spa treatments and lunch. The event began with a welcome speech from the event coordinators. Representatives from CLAN introduced themselves and thanked the events management team for their support of the charity. They then introduced the first live acoustic act, Dylan Fowlie.
The first of the talks came from Lynda McIntosh, who spoke about wellbeing and how to achieve it. She offered Reiki sessions to the guests, which involved body energy healing, that can help with stress and tension.
The second talk was from Dee Henderson, who spoke about Shiatsu massage. This is a type of massage that supports the body’s natural healing ability and releases energy. She also spoke about her own personal experience of surviving cancer and how CLAN had helped her.
During the event, there was Hand Massage and Reflexology taster sessions. Afternoon tea was served throughout the event with cakes, sandwiches, and tea and coffee served in china tea sets. A relaxing atmosphere was set by the second live acoustic act, performed by Michael James.
The idea behind the Cherry Blossom theme was from the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival that takes place in Spring. During the festival people go to parks and have food and drinks around flower displays.
The function room was beautifully decorated to suit the event theme of cherry blossom. There was a feedback tree, in which attendees were encouraged to write about their experience on a pink leaf shaped card, and they were hung up on tree branches to look like blossom. To celebrate the occasion, there was a canvas with a painted image of tree branches, and guests were asked to place their finger in paint and press their print on the image of the tree, again to create blossom.
The events management students donated a blossom tree to the Hazelhead park, to be planted on behalf of CLAN. A raffle was drawn at the end of the event, in which companies and supporters had generously offered. The organisers then closed the event by thanking the contributors and the guests. The final total of funds raised is to be confirmed soon.