The annual Imanuela Akatemia Gala Day, that was held on Thursday, at the Punanga Nui Market, was a great success, bringing together families, friends and the wider community for a day of exciting activities and purchases for a good cause.

With vibrant food stalls, family-friendly activities and a lively atmosphere, the event not only offered a full-filled experience but also served a meaningful purpose, raising important funds for the school’s resources and ongoing development.

All proceeds will go towards any necessary school equipment, improving the schools learning environment and supporting a wide range of school activities aimed to enrich the students learning experience.

From upgrading learning materials, to creating a safer and more open space, the Gala Day plays an important role for ensuring Imanuela Akatemia remains a nurturing school to enrich their students with a better learning space.

Imanuela Akatemia principal Pita Senibiakula said: “Every term we plan a big fundraiser, so this (Gala Day) is our plan for this term. We have a fundraising committee; that’s the committee that decides what to do. So, they have planned for us to do Gala this term, which is why we are here today.”

All the fundings from the fundraisers planned for the year will go towards purchasing school resources.

All staff members and school students were working together at the Gala Day, selling BBQ plates, fish plates, chicken and lamb curry, sushi, sashimi, prawns in coconut milk, fresh desserts, fresh nu, a $2 entry bouncy castle, face paints and handmade crafts by the students.

According to Senibiakula, the BBQ plate was the most popular item purchased among all the goods.

“We started cooking at 7am, but we were too late because there were people lining up here. So, they had to go and then some had to come back, because we told them that 7:30am we are ready (to serve).”

Hanna Sivo, an Imanuela Akatemia prefect, was in charge of the crafts stall. They were selling various handmade items, including scrunchies, earrings, glitter jars, shell photo frames, loom bands, tie-dye sheets and pot plants.

According to Sivo, the most purchased item was the photo frames, due to its appealing appearance of different types of shells.

Last year, Imanuela Akatemia attempted to host a Gala Day, but it wasn't as successful as anticipated because it was located in Muri and started in the afternoon.

However, this year they did some major changes using the market for their gala which was convenient for many people.

“Thank you everyone for coming, big numbers to support our school, our small school, we are growing in number, we’re a small school, but we believe that there’s many more to come, so I believe there’s a bright future ahead of us,” Senibiakula said.