The Fun-tastic, Sun-sational Summerfest

The Fun-tastic, Sun-sational

ON SATURDAY 4 JUNE, THE SWISS CLUB HELD ITS ANNUAL SUMMERFEST AFTER A BREAK OF TWO YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE MADE UP FOR LOST TIME AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

EARLY RAIN, FALSE ALARM After morning showers had organisers’ nerves on edge, the sun came out and set the scene for a picture-perfect Summerfest. More than 400 registered guests, comprising Swiss Club Members and members of the public, turned up from 11am for a full day of fun in the sun (with sunblock, of course) till 5pm.

MOBILE DEVICES OFF, GAMES ON! Our sporting young guests enthusiastically took part in the lineup of games. The bouncy castle was a hit with the little ones, whose irrepressible energy seemed boundless. The ball and bucket toss, ping pong toss and nerf gun shooting range tested the motor skills of contestants young and old, while exquisite henna painting offered a more sedate activity for those patient enough to sit still for the requisite few minutes.

A carnival classic, the good old dunk tank proved as popular as ever. Two sessions of dunking, at 11.30am and 2.30pm, saw many spectacular topples and copious giggles and squeals from delighted onlookers. Nobody was spared, not even the Club’s President!

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD There’s something about the delicious aroma of food grilling in the open air that always works up an appetite, and going by the impressive amount of food consumed by our hungry guests, the Summerfest was no exception. There was something for everyone with grilled veal and cervelat sausages, pork chipolata and vegetarian hot dogs, savoury chicken crepes, and banana and chocolate crepes. An ice cream ‘uncle’, candy floss and popcorn delighted the sweet tooths of all ages.

FRIENDLY BUT FIERCE COMPETITION A highlight of the Summerfest was the first-ever series of Tele-match relay races. Eight brave families competed in a three-legged race, an egg and spoon relay, a gunny sack race, and ‘Dizzy Bat’ –a novel endeavour in which contestants attempt to balance and spin bats on their heads.

Congratulations to the following sporting families: Saurabh, Buehler, Mathiesson, Vezzosi, Grafe, Wilkinson and Hernandez. You are all winners in our eyes.

A LITTLE RETAIL THERAPY, TOO A flea market, jointly operated by Members and a few selected external partners, was a great success. A shoutout to Abi Brown, who donated 50% of her stall’s proceeds to a local charity for children with chronic illnesses; and Brigitte Haeuser, whose lovely toys inspired many wide-eyed children to part with their pocket money –or use their persuasive powers on their parents. The stall for Conscious Kids drew many interested enquiries, with several Members signing up their kids to attend a free trial yoga class at the Club.

Sincere congratulations to the Summerfest organisers, who did an amazing job, and thanks to all Members and members of the public who joined in the fun. Let us look forward to many more fun-tastic Summerfests to come.