The annual Bal Mela always gets the boys all excited days before the event. A lot of planning regarding the arrangements, games to be played, logistics, prizes and so much more goes on for months before the event. And as we get closer to D-day, preparations start off in earnest to get things prepared and ready for the big event.
This year was no exception, with the boys pitching in to create paper bags for the giveaways, creating the mini hampers to fill the paper bags, getting their games ready by creating posters and gathering the materials needed. It is always fun to watch them work.
On the eve of the big day, Fr. Savio and some of the boys started the process of moving things from Ucassaim to the venue – the Salesian Provincial House in Odxel. The stage and stalls were set up and last-minute preparations were completed.
On December 19 morning, Goa Liberation Day, the boys got ready early and piled on to the bus that took them to the venue. Then they started their stall preparations, putting their games in place and adding final touches to their stalls.
In the meanwhile, the registration counter was open and registered the different groups of children as they came in. Each child was also given a welcome pack, a bunch of coupons, and a badge of a particular colour – there were 10 colours.
The programme started with a short prayer dance by the Don Bosco Panjim girls, followed by the lighting of the lamp.
Then the fun started, with the kids lining up to play the different games: ringing the bottle, chalk in the bottle, cap the pole, tattoos, and many more. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves. As usual, the jumping castle attracted a lot of children who just enjoyed climbing and jumping
If the children won in a particular game, they got a prize coupon. Depending on the number of prize coupons they had, they could redeem the coupons for a prize – more the number of coupons, the bigger the prize. Prizes included cricket bats, badminton racquets, footballs as well as colouring books, colouring pencils, crayons and stationery among many other items.
To add to the fun, we had three cartoon characters: Mickey Mouse, a bear and a cat who danced with the kids and posed for pictures. Soon it was time for lunch and the kids served themselves from the buffet table in small batches.
Lunch done, it was time for a small cultural programme of dance and music with different schools or groups performing. The highlight was a medley of songs by visually challenged children who had the audience enthralled with their performance.
Towards the end of the day, a DJ came on and played some foot-stomping music and it was open house for all the kids present – almost all 400-500 of them who danced and jumped for a good half hour to forty-five minutes.
But, all good things come to an end, and the programme ended with the kids eager to come back next year, at a different venue.
