More than 1000 primary school children sat cross-legged in Stuart Park awaiting the landing of the 2018 Queen’s Baton ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
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The baton has been making its way around the country with the icon making its way from Sydney to Wollongong via blue skies above.
Skydive the Beach chief skydive instructor Joe Hallin was under pressure not to drop the baton as number one baton bearer as he parachuted into North Wollongong.
“[I was] really nervous because I didn’t want to drop it,” he told the crowd as part of the welcoming ceremony.
The baton was passed between 19 prominent people from the Illawarra community – along Cliff Road and then up to the Crown Street Mall.
The Cancer Council’s Grant Plecas was one of those lucky enough for the privilege and said there was definitely a lot of emotion involved.
“I was sort of taken aback when we started to get a bit of a briefing, and they were telling us the enormity of what they were doing. Yeah it’s pretty exciting to see all these people here,” he told the Illawarra Mercury.
“The opportunity for it to come through here and for me to be part of that and my family and friends, and the community I know so well and love so much, to be part of that it’s pretty special for me and for Wollongong.”