Volume X
Number 1
January 2002
It
was the usual annual Holiday Ball, but as soon as you stepped into the
Ukrainian Hall, you knew something was different. The balloons bobbing at the tables in the glittering hall and the
big banner at the entrance proclaiming the 10th anniversary, told you that this
year it was going to be special. As
soon as you checked in, you made a beeline for the poster-boards that took you
down memory lane with a display of photographs from 10 years of wonderful
functions - dances, picnics, bowling, etc.
You admired the two huge cakes that were ordered specially to celebrate
this auspicious occasion. Then at your
table you admired the keepsake memento mugs full of candy. It was now time to
hail old friends and be introduced to new friends, admire the glamorous gowns,
quench your thirst at the open bar, sample the sumptuous morsels that the
waiters passed around and generally relax in anticipation of a wonderful
evening ahead.
President
Chris Nunes kicked off the function by introducing the founding members and
giving a brief history of the last 10 years.
For those who were there at the first function in 1991 at the VFW Hall
in Cherry Hill, you couldn't help looking around and thinking "Boy, what a
long way we've come!" Chris then
went on to announce that during the course of the evening, the association
would be giving away 10 door prizes and 10 dance prizes; and there would be a
raffle for two round-trip airline tickets to London donated by Virgin Atlantic,
through the auspices of Gareth Fernandes.
The festivities
commenced with a champagne toast and then it was on to the dance floor for the
grand anniversary march. Brenda
Fernandes, assisted by Dominic Fernandes, guided the crowd thru neat
formations. The band was in top form
and DJ Ron Blanco got the crowd revved up.
The floor vibrated with the jitterbug, twist, waltz, electric slide -
you name it, we did it. Well we just
had to work off that humongous dinner Akbar had prepared for us, not to mention
the piece de resistance - sorpotel. This was followed by the cutting of the
cake, a luscious concoction of vanilla sponge with strawberry filling.
By midnight, it was time
to find out who was going to win the airline tickets. Well the lucky Corla-DeSouzas are probably happily preparing for
their trip, even as this article is being written. The dancing went on till the wee hours of the morning and the
die-hard dancers hung in there till the last notes from DJ Ron Blanco faded
away. So now the 10th anniversary ball
is just a wonderful memory, but together we have many more memories to create
in the years to come - 15 years, 20
years, 30 years....., maybe even 100 years
like the Goan Association
of
Mombasa, Kenya.