Extending the Christmas spirit into the New Year, Greek Australian businesswoman Esther Krinis will be bringing all children’s little heroes to life for a one-off fundraising event for the Little Heroes Foundation, which works to support children living with cancer and serious illnesses. This year’s fundraising event Carnival Spectacular will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at the Riverbanks Function Centre.
“I grew up in a Greek family home at a time when our parents didn’t have the means to make children’s festivities and birthdays as special as they are today,” explains Ms Krinis, who six years ago decided to create her own children’s entertainment business.
It all started with the arrival of Esther’s little girl, Jiorgina.
“My daughter and my family is what I value the most in life. When it was time to celebrate Jiorgina’s birthday, like all new mums I wanted to make the day really special for her, and that’s when I decided to bring her favourite heroes to life,” says Esther.
Witnessing the excitement on all the children’s faces made Esther consider creating her own business from scratch. That’s how the children’s entertainment company Adorable Dora & Friends started; it has now almost become an institution for children and their families in South Australia.
The business offers a diverse range of entertainment for children of all ages, from mascot costumes to face painting, balloon twisting, mini discos − the list is never ending.
“The truth is we have come a long way in six years, and people’s response has been beyond expectation. If there is one thing I love, it’s the times I see parents getting carried away and participating in all the fun, forgetting their problems for a while and creating beautiful memories with their children,” Krinis admits.
Although the main clientele initially was predominantly non-Greeks, Esther says that since the company participated in the European festivals − mainly the Greek Glendi − she feels that has she managed to touch the hearts of the Greek population in South Australia.
“The Greeks have been an amazing support to us ever since, and being Greek ourselves, we find this to be a real honour,” says the 35-year-old entrepreneur.
Adorable Dora and Friends does a lot of charity work for charitable institutions such as the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Novita and The Epilepsy Association of SA & NT, to name just a few.
This year the business decided to bring all the entertainment under one roof, allowing all the children to have fun with all different kinds of entertainment available to them.
“Every year we organise a celebration to welcome in the New Year and we choose to support a children’s charity and give joy to the less fortunate children who don’t have the luxury to celebrate all year round,” explains Krinis, who will also be hosting a group of children from the charity Little Heroes Foundation on the day.
“Irrespective of age or background, this year’s event is a great opportunity for all children to unite and have the time of their lives, while welcoming in the New Year with entertainment, yummy food, drinks and activities and support for these brave children who struggle with serious diseases,” says Ms Krinis.
“The purpose of the Carnival Spectacular is to bring all communities together and offer joy and happy moments to the children, while supporting and offering moments of serenity and relaxation to those people who need it the most.
“Therefore, put on your happy smiles and in a true festive spirit, come and celebrate with us on this very special day.”
Tickets for the charity event Carnival Spectacular are sold through www.trybooking.com/242191