It’s Daffodil Day, the national initiative of the Australian Cancer Council and bears are in abundance this year.

Louise Barnes was busy yesterday afternoon with a lounge room that had bears like some people have ants. 

The little brown bears in various costumes popped out of tubs, slept on tables, and flopped on the carpet. 

Her best friend Denise Downing, mother Margaret Barnes and aunt Bev Dowell visiting from Grafton were all cataloguing the pens, pins, footballs and soccer balls, and of course, the bears.

Bev came across the range to give her niece a hand.

“I’m a line dancer from down there, and we used to do it there, but they don’t do it now, the line dances, so Louise said, ‘Well, I need some help up here, so I came up here,” Bev said.

Containers littered the floor, each designated for a specific area, school or building. 

“That’s Sweeney Street,” Bev said, pointing to a tub of items. 

“The bigger ones are for the stalls, there’s going to be four stalls,” Margaret said.

Louise was watching the clock, waiting for the many cartons of daffodils to arrive.

“They’re on their way apparently,” she said.

Louise said Bev and Denise will take a stall, but also venture out to visit nearly every corner of town. 

“Who knows where she’ll send us?” Margaret chuckled. 

“We’re little elves; we go everywhere.”

Denise said she would likely visit Inverell Hospital, McLean Care, Cooinda and the Macintyre Aged Care residences as she did last year.

The women thought the footballs, pens and the large plush bears would be big sellers this year.

“Young mothers, they pull up with kids and they go for the balls and the bears, they want something for their kid to play with,’ Margaret said.

Daffodil Day stalls open at 9am today at Big W, in front of the IGA, near Syrett’s Newsagency and Best & Less. 

Merchandise and flowers will also be available the schools, carried around the Inverell CBD by high school volunteers and over to the industrial areas by members of the Inverell Prostate Support Group.