By Janet D'Souza
Toronto, May 8: It was an evening out of a fairy tale – glamorous setting, dazzling men and women in their glitzy evening wear, a riveting live band and a scrumptious buffet. With a record crowd of over 600 people, the Annual Family Social organized by Mangalorean Association of Canada (MAC) on April 29 at Payal Banquet and Convention Centre was a remarkable success. Hosted by emcee, Jude Menezes who executed the programme flawlessly to the live band, Memory Lane who enthralled the guests with their amazing vocals and accompaniment, it was an evening of indulgence, fun and spontaneity.
The evening began with a welcome address from Jude. He then invited the guests, who required no cajoling, to dance to some lilting upbeat tunes. This was quickly followed by a vibrant line dancing session with over 200 dancers in organized lines on the dance floor. One of the highlights of the evening was a performance by Samantha and Savannah Goveas who captivated the audience with their choreography, grace and dynamic personalities. In a strong show of solidarity, MAC invited two Canadians of Indian origin who are running to be members of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament. Janet D’Souza, former vice-president of MAC introduced the two politicians. Everest Vijay Dante and Clyde Roach then enlightened the audience with their priorities, their commitment and mandate and enlisted the support of people in their riding.
The climax of the event was the Cha Cha Cha and Jive competition which added glitter and glamour to an already glimmering show. Couples moved with impressive precision and unison to the fast paced music and it was equivalent to watching “Dancing with the stars”.The judges, after a careful selection process announced the winners in each category. Mel and Daryll won the Cha Cha Cha competition followed by Wilson and Sharon. Gordon and Claudette won the Jive competition followed by Brannigan and Shinella.
Dinner was a sumptuous buffet of delicious food followed by delectable desserts. Satiated, the guests eagerly awaited more fun and dancing. The after dinner session started off with Manohar Pais, president of MAC, addressing the audience. He acknowledged the sponsors for their generosity and collaboration, recognized the hard work of his executive members and the numerous volunteers and expressed thanks to the guests who chose to be part of the Social. A 50/50 draw was announced and guests rushed to buy tickets hoping to win the big pot. The night was young and the guests even more enthusiastic. The band did not disappoint and played well loved music to keep the momentum going.
MAC extended special thanks to the main sponsors, other sponsors and well-wishers of the event. The main sponsors were Alex Kuzhel of Sutton Group Admiral Realty, Manoj D’Cunha of Sunlife Financial, Arif Shora of Remax Realty and Dr SaimaShora of Shora Dentistry and Shah Ahmed of Rexdale Hyundai Motors. MAC also thanked Lovina D’Souza, fondly known as Photographer Lavi for capturing the night with her lens and freezing epic moments for posterity.
MAC also acknowledged and applauded the support, commitment and dedication of all its members and volunteers who worked hard to organize an event of this magnitude.
And finally, at 2 am, it was time to close the doors on a magnificent and outstanding event of the year, the Annual Family Social 2017.