Put on Your Dancing Shoes! Mistletoe Ball Slated to be the Highlight of the Holidays!

By JOLIE POLLARD Editor in Chief The Placencia Breeze pollard.jolie@gmail.com

No. Seriously. Put on your dancing shoes and leave the flip flops and sandals at home. Mistletoe Ball organizers will have a dance floor ready for heels as pointy as stilettos that will be completing the unusually elegant wear to be dazzling the evening at the Tipsy Tuna Seaside and Sports Bar on Saturday, Dec.15.

Sartorial intrigue for our yearly casual beach folk aside, the Placencia Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (PBTIA) has been preparing long ahead for their most glamorous fundraiser of the year that is expected to cater to 300 guests for dinner alone!

It's never an easy feat executing a seamless feeding operation for a party organized by the small PBTIA staff along with volunteers, but organizers are feeling confident that they've got all their reindeer in a row this year.

So what's for dinner? Expect Belizean Kriol Krismus tradition at its best prepared by the home kitchen pros of Placencia Village. Myrtle Faux will be cooking "Turkey with all the fixins'" and Merlene Bernard of Merl's Cafe will be offering her scrumptious pastries for dessert. Yum. (Two cash bars will be available.)

With the support of Tipsy Tuna owners and PBTIA board members, Gillian and Salva Zabaneh, who just secured the chairman position at the organization's Nov. 20 elections, Tipsy's staff will be on duty at the buffet station and serving tables.

Traveling down for the gala from Orange Walk Town in northern Belize is Shugah City Band. Dance to local favorites including calypso, soca, soul, funk, Kriol brukdown, punta and disco! And when the band takes a break, Placencia's sweet-natured DJ Boneyfide will keep the party vibes flowing throughout the evening until 4 a.m.!

Surprises and prizes await! Be sure to participate in the Ball's grand raffle for an opportunity to win lavish gifts covering the gamut of the finest the Belize tourism industry has to offer. At just BZ$2 a raffle ticket, there's no excuse to miss your chance at winning! See raffle prize list on page 28.▪

Buy Your Mistletoe Ball Raffle Tickets! You Don't Want to Miss Your Chance!

Take advantage of our 2018 Placencia BTIA Mistletoe Ball raffle and be the lucky winner of one of our six top prizes or win one of our individual prizes. You may even walk away with a two or more. (It always happens to a few very lucky people!)

Just $BZ20 for a book with 11 tickets or BZ$2 for one ticket. (Will you be here before the Ball? Buy your books ahead of time and come ready to party! But then, you never know who you'll meet at the raffle ticket table when you're writing out all those tickets! Tip: Bring an extra pen.)

Raffle tickets are available for purchase before the event at any of the following locations: Placencia BTIA office Tipsy Tuna Barefoot Bar Placencia Office Supply The Burger Joint

For more info about the 19 th Annual Placencia BTIA Mistletoe Ball please feel free to contact the Placencia BTIA office at 523-4045.

From one to two night stays at Belize's finest hotels on the mainland and at the cayes, gift certificates, adventure tour prizes, dinners and bar tabs at top eateries and popular party spots, there's something for everyone in the 2018 Mistletoe Ball Raffle. Boasting a total of 59 prizes including prize packages valued up to BZ$2,000, a single ticket to enter costing just BZ$2 is considered quite a bargain.

Lodge at Chaa Creek in Cayo

TOP PRIZE PACKAGES: 1. Caves Branch - two-nights stay in a Riverview Treehouse, plus daily breakfast and complimentary guided botanical garden tour for two.

2. Tropic Air - two round-trip tickets on a space available basis on route Placencia/Belize City Municipal/ Placencia.

3. Chaa Creek – Two-night stay for two. Package includes luxury cottage collection accommodation, guided tours of our Natural History Center, Butterfly Farm, Rainforest Medicinal Trail, Hiking on the Ruta Maya Trail System, Self-guided Canoeing on the Macal River & Early Morning Bird Watching.

4. Paradise Fun Pack - Paradise Resort – One overnight stay for two, Above Grounds Coffee BZ$25 gift certificate, Placencia Awesome Water Sports - One half-day kayak for two, The Shak - BZ$50 gift certificate for lunch.

5. Relax, Dine and Unwind Package - The Ellysian Boutique Hotel - 2-night stay in luxury Beachfront Studio. Valued at US$714, Barefoot Services - 2-day golf cart rental, Placencia Eagle Ray Tours- Monkey River and Manatee watch tour for 2, D’Tatch Seafood Grill & Beach Bar – Dinner for 2.

6. Turtle Inn - two-night stay in a sea view cottage, inclusive of continental breakfast, two 30-min. massages, a morning birding walk, and bottles of champagne in room.

INDIVIDUAL PRIZES

Dinner at the Maya Beach Bistro are among many individual prizes.

1. Above Grounds Coffee-$25.00 gift certificate

2. Above Grounds Coffee-$25.00 gift certificate

3. Above Grounds Coffee-$25.00 gift certificate

4. Nook Restaurant & Cocktail Bartique - $100 Gift certificate

5. D -Tourz- 1 Cockscomb Tour for 2

6. D -Tourz- 1 Cockscomb Night tour for 2

7. Goss Chocolate- 2 Boxes of Goss Chocolate, milk or dark

8. Seahorse Dive Shop- snorkel trip for 2 or Dive Trip for two

9. Truly Wild Belize- Jaguar Paw tour for 1

10. Truly Wild Belize- Xunantunich Tour for 1 plus $50.00 cash

11. Tipsy Tuna Seaside &Sports Bar- $100 bar tab

12. Barefoot Beach Bar - $100 Bar Tab

13. Pickled Parrot- Dinner or Lunch for 2

14. Caribbean Beach Cabanas - Complementary 2 night stay for 2 at PUR Boutique Cabanas in San Pedro.

15. Captain Jacks- $50 Cash Prize

16. Deja’s Closet- $100 Gift Certificate.

17. Cha Chi's - $100 gift certificate for food and drinks

18. Taste Belize - Ixcacao chocolate and waterfall tour for two.

19. Belizean Flavors - $50 gift certificate.

20. IXCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate - a chocolate gift basket valid at BZ$150.

21. Wendy’s Creole Restaurant & Spanish Cuisine – Dinner for two

22. Sunova Beach Gift Shop - $50.00 Gift

23. La Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant – 1 bottle of Red or White Wine

24. Strike A Pose Boutique - $100 Gift Certificate for Female Apparel

25. Strike A Pose Boutique - $100 Gift Certificate for Male Apparel

26. Bunches of Fun Banana Farm Tour – Tour for 4 pax valued at $120

27. Hatchet Caye Resort – 2 nights stay for 2

28. Manatee Inn – 2 Bottles of wine

29. Manatee Inn - 2 Bottles of Wine

30. Z-Touch Day Spa – 1 Facial plus Micro Dermabrasion by Ysela (valued at $125)

31. Peninsula International Academy - attendance at two fun Fridays. (valued at $100)

32. Placencia Awesome Water Sports - 1 half day paddle board for 1

33. Rumfish y vino - for 150 Gift Certificate

34. Bird Island Placencia - Overnight Stay for 4 person.

35. Lola’s Art - 9 x 12 painting valued at $210

36. Ocean Motion Realty - $200 Cash Prize

37. Ocean Motion – Full day snorkel tour to the Barrier Reef for 2. Park fee, lunch and drinks included valued at $390

38. Burger Joint – Gift Certificate for 2 Wings Special with 2 sodas

39. Burger Joint – Gift Certificate for 1 Double up Burger with fries and a drink

40. Burger Joint – Gift Certificate for 2 Just Chilin Dogs and 2 Joint Fries

41. Laru Beya - Dinner for two with a glass of wine at the Quarterdeck Restaurant

42. The Shak - Gift certificate for lunch. ( value of $50)

43. Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures – Zip line Tour and lunch for 2 persons

44. Barebones Tours - Group Jungle Adventure for 2 with Percy Gordon...(the real) "KING OF THE HOWLERS"

45. The Maya Beach Hotel & Bistro - Dinner for 4. Includes Appetizer, Main Course, and Dessert. Does not include any drinks.

46. “Nirvana on the beach” – Onenight stay for two at A Belizean Nirvana in luxurious beach front, one-bedroom suite. Includes welcome bottle of wine, complimentary continental breakfast, use of kayak and bicycles

47. Naia Resort and Spa – Dinner for two at 1981 Restaurant

48. Jaguar Lanes - two games for four people (includes shoes) with one pizza and two toppings. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

49. Splash Dive Center – snorkel tour for two people to Silk Caye The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

50. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

51. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

52. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

53. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

54. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab Along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

55. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

56. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

57. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

58. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

59. The Placencia Casino - $25 Bar tab along with $20 free credits on slots ( Belize dollars)

Surprises and prizes await! Be sure to participate in the Ball's grand raffle for an opportunity to win lavish gifts covering the gamut of the finest the Belize tourism industry has to offer. At just BZ$2 a raffle ticket, there's no excuse to miss your chance at winning! See raffle prize list on page 28.▪