“Oh! I enjoyed myself.”
“The events brought people together.”
“The day was very successful, it was good to see the young children having fun and even some competing with the old.”

These were some of the comments on the Family Day of Fun and Sports hosted by the Parish of South Oropouche (consisting of the communities of Our Lady of Assumption and St Thomas More) on Sunday, November 11.

The day started with the celebration of Mass at the South Oropouche Community Centre at 9:00 a.m. in which we came to thank God for His love and mercy.  Following Mass, we enjoyed a brunch of bake and buljol or bake and herring, doubles and puhlourie.

Bingo! Young and old eagerly listen for their numbers to be called

Netballers parade indoors before taking to the field

The morning started very overcast, especially after a night of incessant rain, and we experienced some showers up to lunchtime. However, our spirits were not daunted, then, after lunch, God sent the sun in all its glory to give us a beautiful and sunny afternoon to complete our day of fun.

We were placed in houses – Assumption (blue), Thomas More (red), St Ann (green) and St Martin (brown) and with our wristbands of different colours, the fun began. Cricket, football and basketball were played outside on the grounds, while indoors card games and board games took place.

Musical chairs attracted the young children in two categories – ages 5 and under and 5-9 yrs. We saw Fr Henry, our parish priest displaying his table tennis skills and challenging all on-comers.

This day was an opportunity for parishioners to get to know each other better and to see one another in a different setting. We had quite a cross-section of the community present.

Young and old mingled together chatting, relaxing and having fun. A jack was hung, a king was crowned, a goal was scored. Bingo was the main attraction indoors with almost everyone –children, teens, adults- participating.

It was heartening to see the many children playing and eagerly listening for their numbers to be called so that they could shout “Bingo!” One person remarked that it was refreshing to see a 10 yr. old boy challenging an elderly man to a game of draughts.

We were also treated to lunch of pelau or roti, and drinks (soft, of course!). Then the netball girls paraded in their colourful skirts and tops giving us a glimmer of what to expect on the field.

The day ended in a fitting climax with an exciting game of Tug-of-war. Egged on by supporters, each team used all their energies and resources to try to demonstrate their strength and skill.

Hands red, bodies tired, bellies full, we returned home satisfied that the day was well spent and that our Family Day was a success. Congrats to the Parish Council for their hard work in organising this event.
(From a parishioner)