13 December - Ladies in black at the door, ushered the guests towards the dinning area while Jes was ensuring that each of one of us was "stamped" with the approved Joyrider seal. {If Jes was "stamping" every one, why did some not have the Joyrider print on a visible part of the body}. And the venue decorated in a festive mood (wedding?), we were all set for the Joyriders Xmas party!
And how could we forget Kelvin and his "girls" selling tickets at 5 dollars each. (Thought that was cheap? - Heard some bought like SGD50 worth but then realised later that was for the Xmas raffle).
With the surge of membership in the recent past, it’s not surprising that this Xmas party has grown even bigger with newer faces - That’s the beauty of Joyriders - people from diverse nationalities and social background, all under one roof. It was a time to know each other better than the Mandai hills and Changi coastal.
Joyriders even started to turned into a more socially responsible group and participated in various charity events (Green transport week, Breast Cancer Awareness event to name but a few). We even took a more serious “spin” to enforce more safety at our weekend group rides. However, the highlight of the year is certainly Joyce winning the POSB Everyday Champions Award - It’s the nation accolade for honouring individuals who have foster greater participation in sports (Joyriders has 730 members currently).
Soon, we were all “attacking” the succulent buffet. And we had a change in Santa Claus as well it seems (not because of the economic crisis!). The special song performance by Carl helped us in our food digestion. (May be we should have a Joyriders got talent for next Xmas - Oh god! No!).
MLNW Murli aka MC for the night kept the atmosphere up. Soon,it was the traditional Dec babies birthday celebration and the presentation of the yearly awards/certificates.(Is it better to have your birthday in December? No choice it was “decided” by your parents! Do you get two gifts or one? )
The mad mat competition brought human bodies on a tiny mat with hands, feet, knees, elbows, fingers, in places where they should not have been. Bribing the lady judge with alcoholic drinks somehow did not work with our team. And the long awaited and inaugural Ms/Mr Joyrider contest was hilarious. Thanks to all the contestants for your participation. Somehow hiding behind jerseys and helmets have its advantages. It was certainly a great Joyriders night!
We would like to thank all of you for coming and making this event a success! And we would like to thank all the sponsors and donors. You certainly made a lot of “big” kids happy!
As we close the 2009 chapter, we would like to wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year 2010. For those who do not celebrate Xmas, wishing you a happy holidays. (Joyriders would be launching a new dating service from next year - Just kidding!)
See you all on the roads!
