By Everest Hala
More than 500 children gathered at Pangai Lahi Field in Nuku’alofa on Saturday for a community lolly and prize scramble hosted by Siu and George Tonga, marking the culmination of an Easter-week outreach initiative.
Organized with support from the Khyris Tonga Foundation and donors in Utah—including friends, church members, and community groups—the event exceeded expectations. Initially planned as an Easter egg hunt for 400 children, attendance quickly surpassed that number.
Siu Tonga said the strong turnout was both hoped for and welcomed. “I told my team not to turn away any of the children that showed up. I was wishing and hoping that we could get at least 400 children. So the large turnout was a great blessing for us,” she said. “Although we were focused on children from my village Fasi, we wanted to include children from Popua and Patangata. And the best surprise happened when about 15 children from Siesia Island also attended.”
More than 5,000 wrapped gifts were distributed, allowing each child to collect multiple items. These included snacks, candies, noodles, school supplies, hygiene packs, and selected items for parents.
Children aged three to eleven took part. “The youngest children were the highlight, kids the age of 3–4 years old were the most fun to watch as they shyly grabbed one gift and stood still while older children eagerly searched for their favourite items or they already made up their minds on what they wanted to grab,” Siu told Matangi Tonga.
Guest of Honour Princess Angelica Latufuipeka Mata’aho and young royals attended the event. In keeping with Tongan protocol, the royal children opened the egg hunt, and a special “golden egg” prize was presented to the Princess.
Vaiola Hospital visit
The outreach efforts began a day earlier with a visit to Vaiola Hospital, where 21 backpacks filled with blankets, stuffed animals, and gifts were distributed to children in the pediatric ward and to staff.
Alongside the Easter celebrations, George Tonga hosted a four-day pickleball tournament at the ʻAtele Indoor Stadium. Originally scheduled for three days, the event was extended due to high demand. More than 20 teams participated, with nightly attendance estimated between 300 and 500 spectators, including visiting teams from Vava’u and ʻEua.
The tournament concluded with an awards ceremony at Queen Sālote Memorial Hall, where prize money was distributed. All registration fees were donated to a local club led by Ben Hur Kivalu to support youth pickleball development in Nuku’alofa.
George Tonga said the aim was to unite communities and promote active lifestyles. Plans are already underway to expand the initiative next year to reach more children and families.
Siu and George Tonga expressed hope that their efforts would inspire young people across Tonga to stay active and engaged in their communities.
