Entering the La Romana Country Club, guests were whisked into the brightly colored environment of the Hogar del Niño’s carnival-themed dinner party. Commemorating the annual Hogar del Niño Weekend, the organization also recognized February’s Dominican celebration that dates back to the early 1500s. The Carnival is a display of cultural identity and a mixture of rituals and traditions with spirited music and lively dance. The Patronato Benéfico Oriental took on this decor theme no problem, decorating tables with Diablos Cojuelos in various bursts of color and handing out masks to everyone who entered.
The Casa de Campo community happily posed for fun photos with students whose handmade costumes were elaborated with recycled paper, leaves, and plastic cups, among other materials. They surely impressed us with their creative skills in craft and design, and gave nod to the Hogar del Niño’s eco-friendly commitment. The school, whose facilities feature a “Green Zone” and a solar-powered extracurricular activities center, also launched their line of up-cycled accessories in the summer of last year — which they handed out among the weekend’s souvenirs at the triathlon and tennis and golf tournaments.
The evening began with an awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of the tournaments throughout the day. Rafael and Ricardo Santiago, along with Monica Flaguera and Idarmis Velazquez were recognized for tennis, while Tito Brenes, Santiago Hazim, Franco Schiffino, Jose de los Santos took home prizes for golf. The for-fun-only triathlon had awarded each participant with medals earlier in the day once they crossed the finish line. Xioma Menéndez thanked everyone in attendance for their contributions to the Hogar del Niño and continued support throughout the year. With the generosity of the Casa de Campo community, the organization is able to grow and thrive more each year.
A lovely meal followed featuring roasted pork, goat, pastas and salads, and more. A room dedicated purely to desserts of only the creamiest kinds was certainly a delectable note of the evening – chinola cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and coconut flan were simply irresistible! Dinner guests danced to music by Leo Supervi, and it didn’t take the Hogar del Niño students long to form a conga line through the tables and display their enthusiastic Carnival spirit among the crowd. Everyone chatted late into the evening, hopping to different tables to join conversations with friends. Always a lovely way to end the annual Hogar del Niño Weekend, the dinner and dance party reminded us how fun it is to celebrate in the name of a great cause!
Until next year!!
The following photos were taken by Wilfredo Alvarez on Saturday, February 18th at the Hogar del Niño Weekend Dinner & Dance Party:
