Over 400 children benefit from Queen’s Christmas Funfair in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi –

Over 400 children received gifts at the second edition of the Queen’s Christmas Carol and Children’s Funfair organised by the wife of the Olubaka of Oka, Olori Adejumoke Adeleye.

The event was held on Wednesday at the palace of the Olubaka of Oka, Oba Dr Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, OON, and featured carol renditions, games, and the distribution of gifts to children from different parts of the community.

Activities at the funfair included games and raffle draws, with cash prizes of N20,000 awarded to children and adults who emerged winners in the Queen’s Lucky Dip.

Speaking at the event, Olori Adeleye said the initiative was designed to glorify God and share the joy of Christmas with children and the wider community.

She explained that her childhood experiences inspired the programme, noting that Father Christmas celebrations were not common in her area while growing up in Ado-Ekiti, depriving her of such opportunities as a child.

She added that divine inspiration led to the birth of the programme, saying she was prompted to organise Christmas carols and a children’s funfair for the community. “The Holy Spirit told me that I must organise Christmas carols and a children’s funfair, and that was the beginning of the programme,” she said.

The Olubaka of Oka Land, Oba Dr Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, OON, commended his wife for the initiative, describing it as a gesture that had strengthened unity in Akoko South-West Local Government Area.

He urged residents to maintain peace during the festive period, noting the presence of monarchs and chiefs at the event as a reflection of unity, while advising against the use of knockouts during the celebrations.