An event worth cherishing, an event worth all the toil- 15th Feb 2018 was the date of an exemplary event with fun, frolic and merriment, lighting the Sheikha Salwa Al Sabah Hall ablaze with pomp and splendor was the event of the year; the staff party of Al-Rashed International Shipping Co.

With planning under the wraps from the previous year, almost all the staff members of the company had been burning the midnight oil with the plans and the practice sessions. It all boiled to one magnanimous celebration, an event worth each second spent on the organizing.

The show unveiled at 6 pm with the exhilaration over the top as the MCs for the evening Mr. Saju Thomas and Mrs. Queena Antony welcomed the chief guests, dignitaries and guests to the event, returning in all its glory after a 4-year hiatus.

The senior management members: Mr. Bassim S Al Rashed (Director), Mr. Ravi Varrier (General Manager) and Mr. Pradeep Menon (CFO) were all seated in the front with their families.

Rendering the Holy Quran and bowing to the National Anthem of Kuwait, the events started.

Delivering the welcome speech, Mr. Valtor Gonzalvez (Shipping Manager) invited each member of staff and their families to the celebrations and congratulated Mr. Ravi for his 40 years’ service with the company.

Completing 40 years of association with Al-Rashed, the company honored Mr. Ravi with a video portraying his life’s journey.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Ravi thanked his entire dear and near. 40 years young, he still assured us that he will be with us as the beacon to look for guidance for many more years to come. Mr. Bassim Al-Rashed and Mr. Pradeep Menon honored Mr. Varrier onstage for his eventful 40 years with the company.

Mr. Pradeep Menon and Mr. Bassim S Al-Rashed were also felicitated by the management for completing 35 years of association with the company. Mr. Pradeep outlined the company’s growth in the previous year and stressed the importance of dedication in these turbulent times.

During his speech, Mr. Bassim commented that the company’s success is attributed to the employees and thanked each of them with love and gratitude.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar (Commercial Manager) proposed the vote of thanks along with raising his hat to the man of the hour Mr. Ravi for his outstanding service of 40 years to the organization.

Paving way for the youngsters, Saju and Queena gave way to Shivani Menon and Fatima Ahmed, the junior MCs, who took the audience in their hands, quipping quirky banter and beads of wisdom alike.

The cultural events started with a dance performance by the toddlers. The tiny tots mesmerized the audience with their moves. The next event was an all-girls dance to a popular Arabic song. The spellbound performance received a standing ovation.

Songs and dances followed with each performance laudable by its perfection and hard work. Fusion dances, soulful songs, racy numbers, medleys, bhangras and flash mobs left the audience wanting for more.

A song in Kilkili, a fictitious language from the Indian magnum opus movie Bahubali by Sneha Rathidas left the audience in awe. Another highlight of the evening was a magic show by Mr. Balram whose crafty fingers wove threads of wonder for the kids and adults alike.

A surprise move by the ever-loved Jamal, the receptionist portraying his Kenyan heritage with a traditional African dance, gradually picking up the pace with the beats, got a standing ovation and cheer.

A soulful rendition of the famous Richard Marx song “Now and Forever” by Mr. Sandeeptha transported the audience into a breezy trance.

Throwing everyone aback, the speakers blared the vuvuzela- a traditional South African horn and one by one, they moved into the center, with a surprise flash mob. The mob grew bigger as they swayed seamlessly with the music which was a walkthrough of some of the most famous Hindi, English, Tamil and Malayalam songs. The audience was left spellbound indeed.

Songs by Bilu, Nirmal, and Sai whose voices crafted to perfection made each of the song recreated to its best.

With an array of fusion dances, soulful songs, racy numbers, medleys, bhangras and flash mobs, each of the events left the audience wanting for more.

The buffet dinner was sumptuous with a cuisine comprising of Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese and Western delicacies.

Raffle draws were the highlight of the evening with prizes from perfumes to air tickets being given away. The grand raffle was drawn by Mr. Ravi and Mr. Pradeep. Mr. Anand Prakash walked home with a brand new 49” Samsung Smart TV. To add spice to the close of the show, Mr. Ravi and Mr. Pradeep added a twist to the raffle adding 4 more prizes (cash awards of various denominations up to KWD 1000).

The programs concluded well past midnight with dances and songs keeping the energy levels on the top.