There is no greater tradition in my family than the Credit Union Christmas Pageant. Since 1982 I have barely missed an opportunity to welcome Father Christmas to Adelaide on that one Saturday in November. Now along with my boys, I head off to the pageant and am reminded through them and the thousands of people around me about the meaning and magic of Christmas – family, community spirit and joy.

In 2012 I was given the opportunity to take part in the Pageant which gave me an entirely new perspective on what it means to South Australians. Making my way along the route I was filled with an almost euphoric happiness, fuelled by thousands of smiling faces. The look of wonderment and awe in the faces of small children will stay with me forever.

For more than 20 years, People’s Choice has been a proud sponsor of the Credit Union Christmas Pageant.. It’s an honour for People’s Choice to be a part of it – because their purpose is to give back to their members and their communities, so supporting South Australia’s largest family event is a perfect fit.

For the People’s Choice staff it’s an opportunity to dress up, play different characters and volunteer their time to South Australians to bring happiness at Christmas time. We caught up with three People’s Choice Credit Union staff, Donna, Vicki and Caitlin to get an insight into what the Credit Union Christmas Pageant means to them.

Their work stories are familiar – women with career aspirations and a drive to serve their members. Their ways to unwind are also recognisable – from walking the dog, playing social netball or reading. What was magical to capture is how they view the opportunity to participate in the Credit Union Christmas Pageant as such a privilege – for Vicki it’s her 18th appearance and still the magic and joy is not lost on her in fact her affinity for the event attended by 300,000 South Australians each November has only grown.

This year’s Credit Union Christmas Pageant will take place on Saturday 12 November and will feature 64 floats and more than 172 moving performing sets and relies on thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit the People’s Choice, Credit Union Christmas Pageant website HERE.