Last month, the Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North, which took place over a week, successfully raised $327,000.
Festival committee president Zaheen Ibrahim announced this record amount during a thanksgiving event held on Saturday in Labasa. The festival was hosted at Subrail Park from August 31 to September 7. Ibrahim, who is the first female president of the committee, expressed that seven months of dedicated preparation had yielded great results for the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors.
At the celebration, she highlighted the importance of the friendships formed by the committee members with volunteers, which contributed significantly to the festival’s success. “This is a moment to recognize the hard work, resilience, and commitment of our team,” she stated, acknowledging the challenges that were faced and overcome during the planning stages.
Plaques and certificates were awarded to committee members in recognition of their contributions, and Ibrahim expressed gratitude towards major sponsors, particularly Vodafone Fiji, along with other corporate supporters. She emphasized that the festival’s success would not have been possible without their generous backing and expressed hope for continued sponsorship in the future.
The chief guest, Nilesh Singh, Vodafone’s head of recharge and operations, reinforced their commitment to maintaining the partnership, emphasizing the importance of community outreach. Ibrahim noted that by choosing high-quality contestants, they were able to elevate the standard of performances throughout the week.
She also recognized the crucial support of contestants’ families in motivating them to excel. Among the completed projects funded by the festival charity were the construction of a washroom facility at Subrail Park and the donation of musical equipment to Nabala Secondary School. Further projects are expected to commence shortly.