The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A YEAR after sweeping the Junkanoo parades, One Family finished a disappointing fifth in the 2023 Boxing Day parade but remains in “high spirits”, according to its leader.

The group wowed crowds with its Wakanda-inspired theme in the Boxing Day parade last year and won the New Year’s Day parade with its “Happy Hour, Come Celebrate with Us” theme.

Its performance this year, however, was not as successful.

Christina “Muffin” Fernander, chairwoman of the group, said One Family faced several hiccups.

She said while the group took its banner to the parade, a wheel on the object broke, disrupting its plans.

She said her group also started its performance late, incurring a penalty.

“As an organisation, we have to come together,” she said. “We’ll be back in the shack today. So, we’ll go back to the drawing board and tighten up so that what happened this morning doesn’t happen New Year’s.”

“Being defending champions, in particular back-to-back champions, there is a pressure to execute in a certain way. That was the plan to top what we did last year, but unfortunately, due to hiccups, things didn’t go as planned.”

Ms Fernander said during the intense period of preparing for the parade, she blacked out and was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital because of dehydration and fatigue. She said she had recovered and expected to be ready for the next parade.