Night of Passion Gala was a Great Success - By NJ Chapter of AMHE

The Night of Passion was a Success Sunday, June 12, 2011  by the NJ Chapter of AMHE

The older guests, aged between 76 and 106, gave up immediately after dinner, at around 11:00 p.m.  One hour of cocktail party, with Caribbean Splash, followed by two hours of a dinner-show were rich and intense enough; they turned breathless.    The middle-aged guests, 25 to 75, lasted until 2:00 a.m.; they navigated between two dance floors, and danced their hearts out.     The less-than-24 are still partying, at the time of this writing, at the Plaza. They count to continue partying non-stop until next year, until next year's CulturaGanza.   It was Saturday night, at the majestic Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel, in Secaucus, New Jersey.  It was CulturaGanza 2011, an unrestrained display of class, performance, elegance and joie de vivre.  This annual rendez-vous, for all beautiful people, of all races and creeds, between the ages of 16 and 106, set by the NJ Chapter of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE-NJ) has become the end-of-spring hallmark, the great event, for all souls in search of a good night out, a five-course dinner, a program and an ambiance found nowhere else. It is date night; it is family night.   The event of a capacity of 420 seats, sold its 402nd, the night before the party. The menacing rain did not discourage a single guest. Long lines at the Crystal Room's cocktail party and on the red carpet picture-taking station were proof thereof.   Caribbean Splash was clearly one cut above. They animated the early evening hour with a compendium of reggae, calypso, and soca. Lady Gaga, the impersonator, joined the party. It was a riot. A short one though, since at 9:00 p.m., the crowd had to move to the Imperial Ballroom. It was a relative swift move, on the red carpet. The guests were welcome by the singers and drum players of the Arc-en-Ciel Dance Company.   By 9:17, Dr. Reynald Altema had eloquently made sense of the event and given directions to the guests. He emphasized one of the pet projects of the AMHE-NJ Chapter, a new school geared toward preparing the leaders of tomorrow's Haiti. Shirley Crabbe, introduced by the master of ceremony, Dr. Pierre Ronald Leger, saluted the audience with an Aria song. Moving. Excellent. Dr. Margaret Olibrice Saint Fleur, in her well delivered State of the Chapter's Address, underlined the achievements of her first two years at the helm of the Chapter, and set her goals and novel hopes for her second term.   During dinner, the audience appreciated Lady Gaga (in Born this Way, etc,) Gia al Qamar, the belly dancer, and mostly the Arc-en-Ciel Dance Company, in a multi-part Afro-Caribbean folkloric performance.   Concomitantly, three awards were presented. Dr. Eddy Simon received the Physician of the Year Award. Ms. Yve-Car Monperousse was bestowed upon the Community Award. Dr. Judith Banks, who has done great work in Haiti, deserved the 2011 Solidarity Award.   In the lobby, all night, several vendors displayed their merchandises, along side the Passion photo-booth. At 1:00 a.m, the raffle for a trip for two, anywhere in the Caribbean or Central America, offered by Continental Airlines, took place, and made one happy winner among the Jamaican guests.   At 11:10, DJ Rudy invited the attendance to conquer the dance floor in a one-hour round of international dance party. At 12:10, the international dance party moved to the AMHE Metro Club outfitted in the Crystal Room, while Ti Kabzy, the smash compas band from Montreal, entertained the avid revelers, in the Imperial Ballroom, until 2:00 am. They close the night with the Auld Lang Syne (Ce N'est Qu'un Au Revoir).   Many guest were still in the lobby at 3:00 a.m., taking pictures, reconnecting with old friends.    By selling out the gala, and filling out all the pages of the Souvenir Ad Journal, the New Jersey Chapter of the AMHE has reached its fund-raising goals. The members of the Executive Committee melt in thanks to all of you who so wholeheartedly support their humanitarian causes, year in and year out. They thank you for your contribution, your presence, or both.   The next CulturaGanza is on June 9, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands in Secaucus. It will start at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Just be there!   AMHE- NJ Chapter Public Relations Visit Web Site: www.amhenj.org

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