By Nathelie Taylor, Gleaner Writer
HIGH FASHION reigned at Lime Cay on Saturday as hundreds of well-toned men and women poured in from Port Royal to attend one of the best events for the year John and Jenny Greaves 'Adopt-A-Ward' beach party.
Coupled with great music, an unlimited supply of food and great vibes, the stunning beach wear added to the excitement of the day. The men were ordinarily garbed in beach shorts and trunks, and some of them actually kept on their jeans and Ts. The ladies, however, took the spotlight.
Chic bathing suits, accessorised by trendy wraps, scarves and belts, gently hugged supple breasts and toned buttocks. These attractive lasses smugly paraded in their skimpy bikinis, while the more discreet ones (especially the mature women) wore loose fitting draw-string pants or shorts over their swim wear bottoms. The colour range was also quite wide. Shades of blue, orange and pink dotted the beach as patrons arrived, literally by the boat loads throughout the day.
NEVER-ENDING SPREAD
When they weren't teasing the men with each sway of their hips, the ladies nibbled delicately on a seemingly never-ending spread of tasty treats barbecued chicken, jerk pork, fried fish, beef or ribs complemented by festivals, sliced Hardough bread and a range of alcoholic drinks. The 'bars' and 'buffet tables' were run quite efficiently. There were no long lines as patrons were served immediately upon request, even from the man tending the large cow cooked to perfection on the iron spit.
DANCING
DJ Omar C of the Sparkles Disco kept the upbeat crowd dancing until the party ended at 6 p.m. He slipped easily from '70s hits to seductive soca to (almost) 'dirty' dancehall songs and added just a flavouring of hip hop to the mix. Regardless of the genre though, patrons showed extreme appreciation for each selection. As the men contentedly watched, the women danced unabashedly to each song, garnering very lecherous comments. As one woman in particular wined away to soca tunes, mesmerised men from Trinidad were heard exclaiming "Boy, she can wiiiine y'know!".
Among the musical repertoire was the very popular Turn Me On by Kevin Lyttle, which was fed to patrons on at least two occasions. Not much dancehall was played, but the sprinkling was still good enough. In addition to just a tease of Vybz Kartel's Tek... near the party's end, a string of Beenie Man's songs such as Dude and Dick as well as Miss Thing's Regular transformed the beach into a wave of dancing bodies. Sean Paul's hits, including I'm Still In Love and Baby Boy, got great responses as well. Even retro dancehall tunes like Dennis Brown's Love And Hate and Tenor Saw's Ring the Alarm never quelled the intensity, rivalled only by the mid afternoon sun.
The all-inclusive, $1800-priced event wasn't just about dancing up a storm and eating one's weight though. The party, the first for the year hosted by the Greaves', was held in an effort to raise money to assist the University Hospital of the West Indies in Mona, St. Andrew. According to Mrs. Geaves, "We are still counting the funds from the party, but we do expect to make approximately $1 million. This money will then go towards repairing and maintaining equipment at the hospital, as well as aiding the Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward."
The Greaves' have hosted similar parties several times per year since 1988, the last of which was held two years ago. The break was due largely to dwindling attendance at the parties prior to 2002 according to Mrs. Greaves. Funds raised from those parties, which many times was in excess of $1 million, aided other facilities including the Kingston Public and St. Ann's Bay Hospitals.
