The Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North, held last month, generated an impressive $327,000. Festival committee president Zaheen Ibrahim shared this record amount during a thanksgiving event in Labasa on Saturday, following a week-long celebration at Subrail Park from August 31 to September 7.
Ibrahim, who is the first female president of the festival committee, expressed gratitude towards the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors for their contributions, emphasizing the strong friendships that were developed during the planning stages. She acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the committee members, noting their ability to overcome various challenges in preparation for the festival.
During the event, special plaques and certificates were awarded to committee members, with Ibrahim particularly thanking major sponsors, including Vodafone Fiji. She stressed that the festival’s success was largely due to their support and expressed hope for continued sponsorship in the future.
Vodafone’s head of recharge and operations, Nilesh Singh, who was the chief guest, affirmed the company’s commitment to ongoing partnership, highlighting the importance of community outreach.
Ibrahim also mentioned the high standard of performances from carefully selected contestants over the week, praising the families of the contestants for their support in encouraging them to excel.
Several projects funded by the festival’s charity initiatives have already been completed, such as the construction of washroom facilities at Subrail Park ground two and the donation of musical equipment to Nabala Secondary School, with more projects planned to begin soon.