History of our Pot Luck
2007 Host New York
By Connie P. Frias
a.k.a.
Inday de la Peņa
When we, Carigaranons
of New York City, started this town fiesta celebration 20 years ago in New York City (July 1987), we called those who could
come to bring in food to share with everyone who would be coming to attend the celebration. From then on, it became a traditional
celebration so that in the following years, we did celebrate Carigara fiesta in the East Coast and most attendees would bring
in various Filipino dishes and delicacies as potluck share. However, to make a long story short, some of the food would spoil
very quickly due the heat of the sun and the distance being traveled to bring the food into the fiesta location.
We then agreed that instead of bringing in food,
in the following years’ celebration, a donation of $50 would help the host to buy food and other items needed in the
celebration. In addition, the host members would still prepare foods and desserts --- carried them into the agreed venue,
prepared the hall, managed the kitchen, bought disposable eating utensils, managed the restrooms, and countless other tasks.
The host members never get a chance to socialize, which is the main purpose of the celebration, because they are pinned in
the kitchen preparing food for lunch, snacks, dinner and putting back the place in its original condition.
Twenty years have passed and 20 years have also been
added to our lives. We thought that celebrating the town fiesta through a caterer would really help our aging bones to be
kept in tact and allow us, the hosts, to move around to greet people who come to attend. Because of the success and satisfaction
made at the Chicago celebration through the hosts’ arrangement with Itasca Country Club, we, the New York hosts for
this year 2007, decided to follow suit and have a caterer feed all of us at the celebration. Hence, we are requesting our
Carigaranons to donate the following.
We
surmise that a $50 donation for every family is suffecient and not to exceed four members. Additional adult guests should
add a donation of $10 each. Children 12 years and under are free.
Please note that there is no limit in the amount of your donation and we would greatly appreciate your generosity.
We thank you very sincerely for your kind support.
The New York Host Members
