A Magical Elf Party in Nagydobrony Bringing Joy to 170 Children

Zsuzsanna Bozo
Dec 11
4 min read

The holiday season is a time for warmth, laughter, and giving. This year, we had the privilege of organizing a special elf party for the children at the Good Samaritan Children's Home in the village of Nagydobrony. It was a day filled with smiles, music, and festive cheer as 170 kids received new pajamas, hats, indoor shoes, and sweets. The children also enjoyed singing Christmas songs and dancing happily in their cozy new pajamas.

Preparing for the Elf Party

Organizing an event for 170 children requires a lot of planning and coordination. Our goal was to create a joyful experience that would brighten the holiday season for every child at the home. I have the feeling that we have just achieved that. I was so nervous before the event, thinking would the kids like what they are getting? Did we do a good job, getting them all a gift? Or have we missed anyone? That would be terrible. (We have checked the list at least 5 times, still, I was worried.

The gifts were carefully wrapped and labeled at Ágnes Bobrovoczki's print shop, to make the distribution smooth and personal. And what fun we had with the little team of volunteers, to pack them all. A surprise gust turned up: ther Ukrainian Ambassador for Ukraine, Mr Sándor Fegyír. Victor Ágpston,, our friend from the Hungarian Reformed Church picked them up, and transported across a border. hours before we got to the venue.

The Day of the Celebration

The atmosphere at the Good Samaritan Children's Home was filled with excitement as the children gathered in the main hall. The program began with the kids singing beautiful Christmas songs first in Hungarian, then in Ukrainian., their voices echoing through the room and spreading holiday cheer. It was heartwarming to see. Just listen to that angelic, clear voice.

I think Santa is overrated :) Having a team of Elf to distribute the gists, made it so special. Instead of just one guy (Santa) giving the presents to ther children, we had a busy team of 15 (maybe more) buzzing around, and helping. It was chaos, but fun chaos. :))) It was time for us to be silly, to show the kids that we can have fun too,. All joined in: the childrenshome's staff, the director (Andrea Katko), the local mayor András Baksa, Even Svitlana Yakimelina, the Head of Child Protection Services for the region.

Each child received a new set of pajamas, a warm hat, indoor shoes, and a bag of sweets. The joy on their faces was priceless. Many of them tried on their pajamas right away, eager to wear their new cozy clothes. It was wonderful to see the children so comfortable and happy, sharing this moment as a community.

It's not the fist time we were here. Spring 2024 we helped to furnish and renovate the new "boy's wing" of the institute, Of course we went back to see, did we do a good job, is it used as we planned it, together with the childre's home staff. Jeroen van Rotterdam, the key supporter of this project Couldn't be here on the building day, for him, it was the first time to see how far his support has reached. The boys were watching a football game when we arrived, all snuggled in around the sofa.

Bringing the Community Together

This elf party was more than just a gift-giving event. It was a chance to bring the community together and show the children that they are cared for and valued. The involvement of local leaders like András Baksa, Ferenc Nagy (Mayor of Nagydobrony Micro region) highlighted the importance of supporting children in need and creating joyful experiences for them.Events like this remind us how small acts of kindness can have a big impact. Both on the children, and all the participants.

Photots by: Zsuzsanna Bozo

Looking Ahead

Seeing the happiness on the children’s faces motivates us to continue organizing events that bring joy We hope this elf party inspires others to contribute in their own way, whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading kindness..

Payama Party at the Children's Home

We continue our journey tomorrow, to see how we can help at te region's largest children's hospital in the city of Munkachevo.

How can you help?

If you are in the United States, don't hesitate to get in touch with Alex Davern, who will be coordinating the funds donated to this purpose: alexdavern@gmail.com

If you are in Hungary or you have a smaller contribution to make, please contact Zsuzsanna Bozo, in Hungary. Send a message here: directaidforukrainecharity@gmail.com

Further projects you can contribute to :

We are in the process of supporting a kindergarten hit by a Russian missile in the city of Kharkiv.

We hope to continue to furnish new rehabilitation wings for injured soldiers in the region of Trankarpattia, in Ukraine. Your support goes a long way by directly sending help to where it's needed. Subscribe to our news, so you don't miss it!