2018 Christmas Gala celebrated by MCA-EC on December 8, 2018
It’s that time of the year again. December is here and so is this Christmas season. Strings of lights adorn mantles and doorways and stores are awash with red, green and gold. Christmas trees and decorations fill our homes while carols play in the background.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:11-14
Christmas is a season of great joy and a time of God showing his unconditional love for us.
There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than being at the MCA-EC’s Annual Christmas Gala. Deck the Halls is how the Ember Restaurant and Banquet looked for the event on the 8th of December, 2018. This beautifully decorated venue looked spectacular and ready for the Holiday Magic.
The event had an attendance of about 350 people from various parts of East Coast – New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut. The event commenced at 6 PM with people checking in at the registration desk managed by the treasurer Ben Sequeira. Each family received a box of goodies, aka kuswar to bring home. In the box was an assortment of delicious Christmas sweets, including some homemade ones.
The next stop was the striking photo booth setup by Ivan Dsouza and Raulson Sequeira. The splendid holiday background made for some stunning pictures throughout the evening taken by photographer. He captured all the memories not only at the photo booth but throughout the entire event. Also capturing the precious moments during the night was Christopher Monis. The men looked dapper in their suit and ties, the women were exquisite in their gowns and dresses. And the kids had on their holiday festive outfits. Everyone was in high spirits.
Following the photo booth, people enjoyed a mouthwatering assortment of hors d’oeuvres with their drinks.
The event was emceed by the charming Blossom Pothan and Maria Pereira who entered to the tunes of Santa Baby. The enthusiastic and fun loving duo handled the evening with elegance. Their bubbly personality added to the excitement of the evening.
Adding to the magic of the night was the melodious carol singing by the kids. The festive tunes delighted all the guests. This was followed by the grand entry of jolly Santa Claus who entertained all the kids, some who looked at him in amazement and wonder.
Our Vice-President, Melrin Sequeira delivered the welcome note and reminded us to not forget the real reason to celebrate Christmas, which is the birth of our Lord Jesus. This was followed by the President, Aarti D’Souza, who gave the Vote of Thanks and acknowledged all the sponsors for their generous contributions. To name a few – Babco Foods, DTDC, Golden Era, Second Innings, Atlantic SubSea, Dr Nigel Pereira, Nazarana Boutique and other members who donated charitably.
The guests were then entertained to the rhythm of the fabulous Prism Band. Their captivating, high-energy performances rocked the dance floor. The upbeat melody was a harmonious blend of East meets West, a fusion of western, Konkani, Spanish and Bollywood. The band comprised of Rich Aveo – Male Vocals, Leonie Barretto- Female Vocals, Brian Barretto – Lead Guitar, Neil Mathias – Bass Guitar, Julius Saldanha – Keyboards, Anil Das – Drums, Wes – Sound & Lighting. DJ Gladson added a distinct flair with a good mix of energetic dance songs.
Fr. Wenceslaus Rodrigues thanked God for getting us together and reminded us to be grateful for this celebration and keep Christ in Christmas. Fr. Ron Machado said the grace in Konkani and asked for Mother Mary to intercede on our behalf with her son Jesus. Dinner was an appetizing array of dishes and we brought in a flavor of our Mangalorean cuisine by keeping fish and pork on the menu.
In the beautifully decorated adjacent hall, set up for dinner, people spent time breaking bread together and mingling with each other. We rounded up the night with more dancing and spot prizes for some witty questions by the Emcees. This wonderful event was planned by the MCA-EC Executive Board consisting of Aarti D’Souza, Melrin Sequeira, Lydia D’Souza, Anita D’Souza and Ben Sequeira.