Moments from the Memorial Party
The 27th of November 2021 marked twenty years since Iwalola went to be with the Lord.
As friends and family, we got together to celebrate Iwalola's life and the 27 years we had with her. Below are some of the moments from the day starting with pictures from the "red carpet".
The Craft Kits
It was all about Iwalola, so we wanted to ensure that throughout the event there were nods to some of her favourite things. Anyone who knew Lola knew she loved arts, crafts, interior design and just generally being creative, so we planned fun activities that involved everyone trying their hands at doing something creative. Each table had a craft kit (the coloured paper bags). Each kit contained materials for card making, beading, sequin art and sand art. What a joy to see everyone (old and young) getting involved with making cards, bracelets, sand art and colouring. See some of the pictures below.
The Jigsaw Puzzle Contest
We also had a jigsaw puzzle contest to add even more fun and a healthy dose of competition! Three teams competed to win some beautiful notebooks. The teams were tasked with completing a 60-piece jigsaw puzzle of Lola's picture in 15 minutes. Lola loved giving out notebooks as gifts so of course the winning prizes had to be notebooks! Won by The Awojobi Cousins' team (completed puzzle in main picture).
The Nephews
The School Friends
The Awojobi Cousins
The Prizes
The Memory Table
We had a table with some fond reminders of Iwalola including a ring she gave Tunmise, her favourite perfume, two of her notebooks (she documented everything!), her wedding bouquet, album and souvenirs amongst other things. At the event, friends and family had a chance to hear about each item and have a look through as well.
Project XXVII: Book of Tributes
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIBUTE PHOTOBOOK PROJECT
For many years we've wanted to put together a photobook with words and memories from Iwalola's very short but incredibly impactful life. We are delighted to be able to finally do so. We also bring you 27 lessons from her life: one for every year she lived. We hope you'll be encouraged and motivated by these pages, and remember that it really is not how long one lives but how well.
The writings in this book are social media posts, comments, stories and memories spanning the last two decades to November 2021, a mix of recent writings specifically for this project as well as other spontaneous posts and comments over many years.
An online version of the book is available to view here.
You can also order a hard copy here.
The books were given out to all those who attended and we requested that everyone who received a copy please donate to Cancer Research UK in Iwalola's memory. You can do the same via Project XXVII's CRUK fundraising page.
Ready to give out
Tribute page
Photos in the book
Tribute page
The Spotify Playlist
Lola loved music and she loved singing. We put together a playlist of some of her favourite songs which was the soundtrack to the evening. Friends and family having a fantastic time reminiscing whilst signing along to some of Lola's favourite songs. Listen to the playlist on Spotify.
Sharing
Lola loved baking and the aim was always for "light and fluffy" cakes. So, there was lots of cake to remember her by! As a nod to Lola's incredible generosity, we also asked people to bring something along to share - an amazing tribute to Lola with lots of food and drinks to share.
There was also the opportunity for a few people to share their fondest memories of Iwalola.
Project XXVII: Celebrating Iwalola
We lost our darling Iwalola to cancer and want to use this opportunity to raise funds for Cancer Research UK in the fight against this terrible disease. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Thank you!