You weren’t a real Aussie kid unless you were taught not to take funny lollies from strangers by a puppet giraffe, in the back of a dark van, in the staff carpark. Yes, we are talking about Healthy Harold.
He had friendliness, he had advice and he had the truth: turns out “healthy snacks” like rollups did not contain the amount of fruit to sufficiently provide nutrition for a seven year old.
A beacon of wisdom and knowledge for all, Healthy Harold is taking to the road for the very last time. Here’s to you, ya crazy giraffe.
We left the van under the misapprehension that people were waiting to sell us drugs on every suburban street corner, and that to hold our arms in a cross against our chest would ward off all unwanted weirdos.
The internet has taken to celebrating the role Healthy Harold had to play in the health of an entire generation of Australian kids. Here are a few of the memories to be shared:
I went to Catholic school so Healthy Harold wasn’t allowed to talk about sex or drugs, he just told us not to be racist
— pastel twink (@twinkbahn) May 30, 2017
some loose unit at my primary school defaced the healthy harold van by writing “fuck” pretty small in permanent marker. take that harold!!
— Kate Price (@KAAAAAATE) May 30, 2017
Axing the Healthy Harold program? All kids need to be led into a dark van by a giraffe & taught about stranger danger
— Hayley Richardson (@smeagols_twin) May 30, 2017
On our last visit with Healthy Harold in year 6 we were shown (at request) where the hand went into Harold and a girl burst into tears
— Bridie Jabour (@bkjabour) May 30, 2017
A kid in my class got suspended for punching the Healthy Harold puppet
— Joe McKenzie (@aJoeMcKenzie) May 30, 2017
Source can be found here
