Chicago: The Mangalorean Konkan Christians Association of Chicago conducted its 14th annual picnic at Cynthia Peterson Park of Vernon Hills. It was a mild day with lots of sun and cool breeze, which gave both the young and the old a good time participating in a variety of games and activities. Not to mention, the great food and drinks provided by the members of MKCA and their well-wishers.
The picnic was initiated by a welcome speech from the President of the association, Vissia D’Souza. She thanked all the participants for their presence, and especially the planning committee for their great efforts in organizing this annual activity so well. The participants loved to play the famous pass-time of the Indian masses, Cricket. Children and youth enjoyed volleyball. Others tried to wrestle with mild winds while playing shuttle badminton. Children, youth and old alike enjoyed playing Bean Bag Toss. Youth enjoyed passing the time playing short spurts of American Football, Soccer and Frisbee. Children and adults loved to play Pinata. When the Pinata finally broke, a variety of chocolates spilled the ground and children rushed to the spot to grab their fair share!
There were a lot of games and competitions arranged by the organizers, under the chairpersons of the planning committee, Shannon Mascarenhas and Rose Mascarenhas. Following participants won the prizes:
Passing the Parcel (1-6 years old): Olivia Quadros, winner and Karen Quadros, runner-up
Lemon and Spoon Race (7-12 years old): Keira Martis, winner and Logan Quadros, runner-up
Sack Race (13-19 years old): Jason Mendonca, winner and Jovan Monteiro, runner-up
Women’s Sack Race: Charamaine Fernandes, winner and Vissia D’Souza, runner-up
Mens Sack Race: Allen Martis, winner and Sean Wagers, runner-up
All the participants had great fun in participating. There were other activities like Tug-of-war, Water Balloon Toss and dog-n-bone.
To quench the thirst of the participants there were a number soft drinks and fruits. The participants enjoyed a sumptuous picnic lunch, which consisted of authentic south Indian dishes combined with local menu items, which were tailor made for the picnic. There were a variety of desserts prepared by the members present.
