Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter
( LEFT ) Mr. and Mrs. Mark Twohey inside the Carnival Queen at the Buccaneer Bash. ( RIGHT )(Left) Abe Kawass, Chairman of the Kingston and St. Andrew Branch and Sameer Younis at the Buccaneer Bash held Saturday night. - CONTRIBUTED
HENRY MORGAN would have felt right at home on the Caribbean Queen.
Piracy was the theme on Saturday night, as the Buccaneer Bash complete with 'wenches' and 'pirates' set sail aboard the ship decorated with skulls and bones, Mardi Gras beads, captain's gold, and treasure chests. And its crew was dressed for the occasion with eye patches, feathered hats, hooks, boots, swords and knives.
It was a fun way for the Kingston and St. Andrew branch of the Jamaica Red Cross to raise money for charity.
The Caribbean Queen rocked to the music of DJ Squeeze as he mixed soca, dancehall, Jamaican '80s and '90s music, disco, funk, Latin and retroactive rhythms. The patrons on deck had a full workout as they assumed the position and did the Electric Boogie and It's Time to Get Funky.
Prizes for costumes were given out and Odeth Courey won the best dressed female award while Phoebe Twohey earned second place. Stanley Grobousky was adjudged best dressed male and Richard Carraha placed second.
FUND-RAISING AUCTION
In the midst of the frolicking, the fund-raising auction was announced. Various companies and individuals provided the gifts for the auction, which included a weekend for two at Grand Lido, a treat for four at Dolphin Cove, and gold framed prints by Susan Shirley.
Bidding, started at $5,000 and went up to $34,000 for Wassi Art Pottery, a weekend for two at Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Sandals Dunn's River Resort and Spa, Couples Ocho Rios and The Hilton Kingston Hotels. Garth Sanguinetti jewellery, a gift certificate for Aveda Spa Strawberry Hill, a P. J. Stewart numbered print, and cross jungle Chucka Blue canopy tour were also auctioned.
Kimberly Carraha, Branch Director at the Kingston and St. Andrew branch of The Jamaica Red Cross, explained that the proceeds were going towards the various Red Cross programmes. "I'm really pleased with the turnout and the support, I think people are having a good time. We wanted to do something fun and at the same time raise money. Some very charitable people in business supported us and we are truly grateful. Squeeze is playing for free and we got a good price on the boat. The community made it a very charitable event," said Carraha.
Antonio, a very energetic patron, shared his enthusiasm with The Gleaner, "I was scared at first because I watched Titanic this week and I got this ticket just like Jack won his, but as soon as I came on board and saw the merriment and the music hit me, I forgot all about it."
The pirate's fiesta sailed around the Kingston Harbour until approximately 12:30 a.m., signalling the close of a spirit filled night. At the end of the night, patrons were given Red Cross souvenir drinking mugs and left in a merry mood.
