News: Janet D’Souza
Pics: Jerson Marques
Canada, Jun 8: The walls of Payal Banquet Hall, Mississauga reverberated with toe tapping and hip swinging music and the cheers of over 500 guests as the Mangalorean Association of Canada (MAC) concluded another successful social event, the annual ‘Family Social’ recently.
It was an exceptional accomplishment with a fusion of activities and music. People abandoned their inhibitions and danced to the pulsating music of reggae, hip-hop and the melodious strains of the waltz and jive. The band, Memory Lane and DJ Kaya made the event even more memorable with their fantastic music and singing.
With a warm welcome at around 7 pm, Kenneth Alemao, the compere, announced the ‘Family Social’ formally open to the festivities. The band started with some mellow music to get everyone warmed up and in the mood. Announcements for delicious appetizers and house keeping rules followed and once done, line dancing was up next. Everyone enthusiastically participated in line dancing which can be great fun and liberating, but at the same time requires choreography, precision, coordination and collaboration.
The pinnacle of the ‘Family Social’ was the dance competition. There were two categories: Jive and Cha Cha Cha. Both categories were open to all and there were 10 registrations for the event. In two rounds, six couples were shortlisted based on their performance and technicalities. With unparalleled excitement and cheered on by an animated crowd accompanied by exhilarating music, the couples performed their dances extraordinarily well. Sadly, there could only be three winners. The jive competition was won by Lloyd and Ayesha in the first place, Raveen and Natalia in the second and Kenneth and Trina, the third place. In the Cha Cha Cha category, the winners were Raveen and Natalia (1st place), Nikhil and Aurea (2nd place) and Wilson and Karen (3rd place). While the guests recovered from the excitement of the competitions, Memory Lane played music to entice the youth onto the dance floor who responded with unbridled energy and liveliness.
Fr Edwin D’Souza led the Grace and he thanked God for showering his blessings and encouraged the association to continue their contributions to the community. Dinner was served which was a spectacular buffet of salads, vegetables, meat and desserts created to please all kinds of palates and fussy eaters. Manohar Pais, the president of MAC addressed the audience, thanked the guests for their support and participation, summarized the triumphs of the association and highlighted the generosity of the sponsors.
The main sponsor, Alex Khuzel of Sutton Real Estate, addressed the audience and gave away prizes to the winners of a quick draw. CC, the Financial Centre Manager (Sun Life Financial) also spoke briefly to the audience and gave away prizes. Each sponsor was honoured was welcomed on stage and presented with a rose. The attractive door prizes and abundant raffle prizes entranced and allured the guests who rushed in a frenzy to buy tickets. The much-anticipated raffle was an extraordinary success with a 50/50 draw. The winners of the raffle draw were John D’Souza, Manuela D’Cunha and Milton D’Mello. MAC will generously donate its 50% of the winnings towards a charity of its choice.
A special note of appreciation goes to Jersen Marques who captured the event with his lens. He helped create memories with his amazing pictures and captured moments that will be treasured by all the guests. MAC expresses its gratitude to the guests who attended the ‘Family Social’ and ensured its overwhelming success. MAC acknowledges and applauds the support, commitment and dedication of all its members and volunteers who worked hard to organize an event of this magnitude.