BY RICHARD FORD – MEMBERS of the Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations Inc (APCO) travelled for five hours each way to support the Young and District Multicultural Association (YDMA) festival last 1st November at the Young Town Hall.
Situated in the Canberra Region, Young is renowned for glorious undulating countryside, fresh produce, pick your own orchards, Hilltops Wines, fascinating pioneering history, exciting events and for being known as the Cherry Capital of Australia!
Thirty-two Western Sydney “slickers” and APCO members motored by bus and cars to attend and perform at the 2015 year-end multicultural gathering upon the invitation of YADMA president Josie De Guzman Johnson. Senator Fiona Nash, the Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate, Young City Councillor Sandy Freudenstein and our very own APCO founding president Dr Cen Amores were guest speakers.
Filipinas Dance Group composed of Emma Braceros, Dian Ford, Aresna Forrest and Juliet Vella, performed two folkdances, and Albert Prias and Charles Chan sang a duet number. The duo also led the children of this rural shire in singing “We are the World”, while Victor and Mellie Valdez did pantomime.
One humorous incident occurred during the Concert when the group had a courtesy visit by the local Fire Brigade, when ‘fire alarms’ flared up in the kitchen creating a false alarm. It also gave everyone a chance to mingle and joke during the break in the Concert.
Young is a rural area near Canberra, Yass and Goulburn and known as the cherry capital of NSW. Unfortunately, we were just a few weeks early to be able to pick cherries but we enjoyed the long ride as we used the time for bonding. BY RICHARD FORD