Ben Green: Young vet nurse aims to make history in race for Apple and Grape ambassador role

The Stanthorpe young gun has already made history as just the third man to vie for the iconic Apple and Grape role, and hopes his passionate community spirit will inspire others to join the ranks.

President Russell Wantling with young ambassador Ben Green and Stanthorpe Veterinary owner and sponsor Kirstin Widderick. Photo: Contributed

A Stanthorpe man hopes he can inspire other young men to pursue their ambitions by showing how he turned his passion for helping animals into a career.

Veterinary nurse Ben Green has become just the third man in the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival’s history to enter the race for the young ambassador title.

He said he hoped other young men might look up to him, and consider pursuing the experience themselves as he’d found it “really rewarding”.

The 20-year-old is a member of the team at Stanthorpe Vet Care Services and wants to use his love for animals and his community to drive important fundraising.

“I wanted to raise some money for the Apple and Grape and get to know some more people,” Ben said.

Ben will offer dog hydrobaths every second Saturday as part of his fundraising efforts.

Sponsor Kirstin Widderick said she was pleased to work with Ben and help out the community.

“A lot of people come to town for the festival. People who used to live here come back and bring their friends and there are a lot of tourists,” she said.

“It’s fun to get out and just get among it.”

Apple and Grape Festival president Russell Wantling said next year would mark twenty years since the committee allowed men to enter the young ambassador competition.

“There have only been two males before Ben, but how fitting is it, in the 150th birthday of Stanthorpe, to have another male in this program,” he said.

“It is just another way of showing how far we have come as a region in 150 years. And having a young resident as grounded and hardworking as Ben round off the nine ambassadors, honestly, I could not be happier.”

Ben becomes the final entrant in the hunt for the coveted title.

He adds to the now completed list of young ambassadors, with Rachelle Todd, Makayla Doughty, Kelsey McKibbin, Laura Robertson, Jordan Cassidy, Jasmin Ball-Mandavy, Karma O’Reilly and Amy Colyer already putting their hands up for the role.

Originally published as Ben Green: Young vet nurse aims to make history in race for Apple and Grape ambassador role