Fil-Oz Liverpool, VAA Inc. and APCO Inc. attend the 19^th Children’s Festival of Sydney

By Richard J. Ford – (PRO)
Bankstown-NSW-Australia
October 12, 2017



 It was such a beautiful sunny day that echoed what will be a great event at Paul Keating Park, next to Bankstown Railway Station on 17^th September, 2017. The Children’s Festival is a significant multicultural event in Australia.

It was also the first time that our Filipino kids have been to a Children’s Festival celebration at all. One of the co-emcee for the event was Miss Australia Heritage and Miss Continents Australia 2017, Miss Jennifer Hunt, “who did her task gracefully and with elegance,” said the President of Fil-Oz Liverpool and Districts Inc., Cora Bojarski.

The event started at 11.00am and ended around 6.00pm, with the Children’s Parade at 2.00pm.     The motto for the event was “Play Together and Live in Harmony,” The prize presentation for the poster design colouring contest for the children based on the theme, “Water Is Life.” The Children’s Festival is event that is a unique celebration of cultural diversity. It offered a spectacular entertainment program performed by over 30 groups from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, such as Aboriginal, Arabic, Russian, Philippine, Bosnian, Indonesian, Macedonian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Nepalese and Scottish.

It was attended by thousands of children and their families, who were treated to a range of lively and exciting outdoor games, workshop on lion dance, kite making and flying the kites, also face painting, jumping castles, rides, workshops on kite making and flying. There were also various multi-cultural food stalls and the children’s favourite, show bags. There was also great live music and entertainment plus dancing on stage, beautiful traditional costume displays.
                                                                                                                                                                            All the children from Fil-Oz, VAA Inc. and APCO Inc. all looked so elegant and charming wearing their Filipino Costumes making their parents, grandparents and carers very proud , and also performing on stage was a highlight for some of them. As was the case for Sharlene Gamo and Catherine Tiatico, who sang a Philippine Song in Filipino, to the delight of the Filipino’s present. VIP’s present such as Pet Story, APCO Inc. President, also Cora Bojarski, President Fil-Oz Liverpool, Philippine Consul Marford Angeles and his wife Joan, enjoyed the enterainment. Speeches were given by the Shadow Minister for Education and MP for Lakemba, Jihad Dib, also the Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Sophie Costis.
The MP for Bankstown Tania Mihailuk stated in her speech that, “We are very fortunate to live in such a diverse multicultural society. We speak sixty languages and practice one hundred and fifty cultures in this Bankstown region and it is festivals like this that help highlight why we are such a blessed community.”    
                                                                                                                                                 Other messages of Support for the Bankstown Children's Festival,also came from The Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley MP, The Hon. Ray Williams MP, The Hon. Tony Burke MP, The Hon. Jason Clare MP, Mr David Coleman MP, Mr. Richard Colley -Administrator of Canterbury-Bankstown. In attendance were other Community Leaders and Leaders of Community Groups. A special thanks from Cora Bojarski and Pet Storey to the following members who attended the festival Cora Paras , Angelica Tesoriero, Linda Price, Cora and Larry Perez,Edna Voros and grandchildren, Savannah Leal, Sienna Leal, Ellie Bojarski, Kody Bojarski  and  Mr. Marford Angeles, Mrs. Joan Angeles Mr. Ron Storey and Frank Bojarski, to help all enjoy the day and share in the fun.

The final word comes from the founder and President of the Children’s Festival of Sydney, Mr Thuat Van Nguyen (OAM), who organised his 19^th Children’s Festival this year, who said, “This is a fun day for families because it is a wonderful time to share different cultural experiences, to be together and to have fun in harmony. The festival is a wonderful contribution to the multicultural fabric of our society.”