There was certainly a lot of action going on during our 22nd Island Taekwon-Do Centre (ITC) and 7th Sun Hapkido Academy Singapore (SHAS) Annual Dinner held on Saturday, March 29th at With a Pinch of Salt.
Many ITC and SHAS members joined in the fun to a tea-party themed celebration. The enjoyable evening began with an icebreaker game – Meet the Requirements! The café quickly became a frenzy of people scurrying around taking pictures and posting on Facebook to get as many likes as possible! Of course, the competitive streak started showing in some members with taglines “I Win” in their posts. The state of delirium was shortly treated, with Shaun Sir inviting Master Daniel Sng for his welcoming address. The café’s lively mood then quietened down with respect of Master Sng’s mere presence, evidence that everyone listened attentively.
Of course, the highlight of the event was the food, food and more glorious food! In the true spirit to our student oaths “I shall respect the instructors and seniors”, the senior ITC members were invited first to the yummy spread, followed by children and rest in orderly manner. Throughout the dinner, there were numerous showcasing of talents.
Kicking off the performances were Gavin and Calvin, performing 2 saxophone pieces in duet – “Over The Rainbow” and “Blackbird”. It created a fantastic mood with all the jazz! Our youngest performer shortly followed this, David, displaying his bowing prowess on his little violin with the piece “Gavotte by Mignon”.
And as tradition at every Annual Dinner, it would never have been complete without lucky draws! As the first half of the draw was carried out, all the hopefuls lined up their coupons on the table, looking intently at our beautiful emcee for this segment, Justina, praying that their numbers would be announced. Some even started chanting their numbers and words such as “wasted!”, “alamak”, “so lucky!” filled the air as well as cries of exasperation or joy!
With all the excitement over with the lucky draw, Shaun Sir took many people by surprise with his beautiful and soulful rendition of Nuvole Bianche on the piano. Many people were unaware that besides holding a 4th Dan in Taekwon-Do, Shaun Sir is also musically trained with a Grade 8 in Piano! Not satisfied with his performance of just 2 songs, the crowd called for encore where Shaun Sir gamely played a last piece song to appease them!
Next came the much anticipated Best Dress Award – a category each for child and adult! Gathering the most number of votes in their category, David and Justin deservingly won the award, with them dressing to their best according to the theme and each walked away with their prizes gleefully! Of course, our little winner almost got tangled up with the multiple colourful balloons tied to his wrist while making his way to collect his prize!
The cake cutting ceremony followed, with Master Sng, Aunty Karen and the organising committee members representing the ITC and SHAS family, commemorating the long journey since the start of the school! I’m sure many of us are proud and honoured to be apart of the family!
The event would not be successful without the generous sponsors and time was taken to thank each of them, presenting certificates of appreciation and taking a photo with Master Sng!
The moment finally arrived – the final draw to the last few big prizes! Through the dinner, members were seen buying additional coupons, in hopes of increasing their chances of winning the coveted first prize – a brand new 32″ Sharp LCD TV! The anticipative atmosphere surged up as lucky laureates proceeded to the stage to claim their prizes! The biggest winner for the night was Wu Yong Ming, winning the television!
As the chairperson for the event, Shaun Sir gave a closing speech, thanking all team members for their dedication and commitment to the art. The party ended with all members taking a bow to Master Sng and with some having to crack their brains to bring their slew of won prizes home!
Many thanks to Master Sng and the Organizing Committee for hosting such a fun and enjoyable dinner, and we look forward to many more similar gatherings!
Taekwon,
Gina Lee
Written by Ms. Gina Lee, 6th Gup, ITF Singapore
© Island Taekwon-Do Centre 2014
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Related Web Links
- For more photos – “ITC’s 22nd Anniversary Dinner“