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Australian Filipino Community’s annual Christmas celebration

By Georgia Tacey

Dec 22, 2023

On Santa’s list: The AFC children had fun hanging out with Santa. Photo by Contributed

The Australian Filipino Community has celebrated Christmas in style.

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On Saturday, December 16, the community members filled Merrigum Hall for their 37th Christmas party, uniting families and friends for a night of celebrations.

Present time: The kids wait to receive their special gift from Santa. Photo by Contributed

AFC members travelled from Kyabram, Cobram, Finley, Shepparton, Echuca, Moama, Bendigo and Melbourne.

The annual party featured an extravagant group dance show, games, raffles and lots of entertainment for both the young and the young at heart.

Celebrate: The AFC members turned up in big numbers. Photo by Contributed

Christmas music soundtracked the night, and Dinna Aunzo gave a memorable performance.

As is tradition, everyone attending contributed their own dish, offering an array of appetisers, main courses and the traditional whole roast spit of pork.

Happy holidays: Tara Lennie, Vangie Lennie, Mayette Martin and Jarrod Baldwin. Photo by Contributed

The highlight of the evening was the touching tribute to the late Ian Lennie of Kyabram, who served as AFC secretary for 37 years, alongside Vangie Lennie’s 37-year tenure as AFC president.

The night was a big success and a great way for all AFC members to send off the year.