Rain may have fallen over Kiama on Sunday, but it did little to dampen the colour and music at Kiama Surf Life Saving Club’s Pride Sunday Sips.

The club marked Surf Life Saving Australia’s Rainbow Beach initiative with a Pride-themed patrol followed by a vibrant Sunday Sips gathering — drawing an impressive crowd despite the drizzle.

Event coordinator Jane Bourne said the idea began late last year when Surf Life Saving Australia invited clubs to request free Pride Packs.

“My husband and I are very involved with the surf club, and we thought that looks like a great idea,” Bourne said.

“We checked with the water committee and they were like, ‘Yep, great.’”

While the official NSW date was the 14th, the club shifted celebrations to align with its regular Sunday Nippers and Sippers.

“It made more sense for us to do it on the 15th — and they were very happy for us to change the day,” she said.

Lifesavers flew the rainbow flag and wore rainbow zinc, armbands and whistles as part of the patrol.

“The whistles, the zinc and the rainbow armbands were all part of the pack. It was lovely,” Bourne said.

Upstairs, Sunday Sips took on a Pride theme, with local DJ Brendon Reece generously donating his time to keep the atmosphere lively. 

A glitter and glam station proved especially popular.

“It was mainly kids — although some bigger kids got themselves bedazzled and glittered up too,” Bourne said.

Moist & Glazed supplied fresh donuts, while a 100-square fundraising board raised $500 for the surf club, alongside $500 in cash prizes.

Despite steady rain — conditions that would normally see Sips cancelled — organisers decided to press ahead.

“We’ve got an indoor space at the club, and I thought, we’ve got a DJ, we’ve got these people coming — let’s keep it on,” Bourne said.

“It was a really good turnout, especially for a rainy Sunday. Loads of new faces, new families — people who don’t normally come.”

Members of the local Pride community, including representatives from an Illawarra-based Rainbow choir, attended and expressed interest in future collaborations.

“We reached out to Rainbow families and Pride groups in the area, as well as our regular locals. We wanted to make sure that the community knew they were welcome,” she said.

Beyond the music, glitter and donuts, the day carried a clear message about belonging in the Kiama community.

“Inclusion and visibility are vitally important everywhere,” she said.

“The Surf Club serves the community. We teach young children life skills and lifesaving skills. It’s important that everyone feels welcome.”

In a regional town, she said, that visibility can be especially powerful.

“It’s so important to show people who perhaps feel different that you are absolutely welcome, you are wanted, you can be yourself — and people will support you.”

Bourne hopes Pride at Sippers will become an annual event aligned with Rainbow Beach, and a springboard for more Pride celebrations across Kiama in the future.