Leila and Danny Abdallah launched i4Give day in 2021 ahead of the first anniversary of the death of their children, Antony, Angelique and Sienna along with their cousin Veronique Sakr due to a drunk driver.
They want every 1st of February to be a day of love and celebration, family and forgiveness and are spreading their message across Australia and the world.
The children were killed on 1 February 2020 when a ute driven by Samuel Davidson under the influence of drugs and alcohol left the road and mounted the footpath they were walking on to go to a shop for ice cream.
“I’m still grieving but it would have been a lot worse if my shoulders were heavy with revenge and bitterness,” Mr Abdallah said in an interview early last year. “Now I understand the whole spirituality of forgiveness because I’m living it.”
Last June the Abdallahs even took their message of forgiveness to the Vatican, bringing to tears and a standing ovation the hundreds of delegates attending the World Meeting of Families with Pope Francis.
The i4give foundation is hosting a family fun day at Prince Alfred Park in Parramatta, to acknowledge i4Give Week (1-7 February) on Saturday 4 February supported by City of Parramatta Council.
On offer are free activities including amusement rides, a petting zoo, open air movie and more from 11am – 10pm.
It’s one of a series of events to generate conversations about forgiveness across the country.
“This is also an opportunity to say thank you to the community and to the whole nation for standing by us and supporting us for the last three years,” said Mrs Abdallah.