Laura's International Graduation Party

Laura is graduating from Fairfield University on Sunday, May 17th. On Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, we are hosting a graduation party in her honor. We hope you can join us to give a great sendoff for her, because she has the travel bug. First she is going to London, then Texas, and – in September – Geneva, Switzerland, for about nine months of volunteer service for VIDES (Volunteers International for Development, Education, Service. Click website for info: http://www.vides.us/index.html). Considering her travels and her French/English double major, we are celebrating with an international theme.

When?

Saturday, May 23, from 12 to 4 …

Where?

The Picnic Shelter at Goddard Park, 1095 Ives Road in Warwick. The building is near the small beach and the former carousel.

What to wear?

• Casual dress. In keeping with the international theme, you might want to wear an ethnic hat, scarf, or other accessory or garment related to your ethnic heritage or to a country you have visited.
• Overlooking Greenwich Cove and Apponaug Cove, the picnic shelter is a rustic outdoor facility that can protect us from rain and sun, but not from the wind or temperature. Therefore, dress accordingly and bring your sunscreen!

Oh yes, the food!

• Would you help us celebrate by bringing food to share? Maybe you want to bring a favorite food from your ancestral country. For planning purposes please let us know what dish you will bring by Tuesday, May 12th.
• Currently we anticipate about 40-50 attendees, with both Skurka and Barry families and with friends, so please keep these quantities in mind as you prepare your dish.
• Please also note that there are no cooking facilities at the site, nor electrical outlets.
• Please label your serving dishes, utensils, coolers, etc. so that they don’t get lost.
• See the lists below, please.

What to bring?

• Beach items you might want to bring would be beach chairs, towels, swim gear and water shoes.
• Bring your toys and games! There are fields nearby, where we could play badminton, soccer, whiffle ball, bocce, Frisbee, and so on.
• The shelter has about a dozen picnic tables, so bring lawn chairs if you prefer softer seating.

Other stuff

• If you wish to bring a gift for Laura, her godmother – Rita – has volunteered to offer suggestions of gifts based on Laura’s wants and needs. (email reets2244@aol.com; or cell 302-354-0972)
• To assist us in decorating for Laura’s party, if you have a flower garden, please bring a small bouquet of your flowers in a vase. If you have flowering trees or shrubs, such as lilacs, please bring a few small branches. Laura will certainly appreciate your sharing these springtime flowers with her.
• Perhaps you would like to bring a special decoration from your ancestral countries. It would be fun to learn more about each other’s heritage.
• Many thanks to Rita for her help in planning this event.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Barb, John and Mike

A few other details...

We'd appreciate foods from the following categories:

• Appetizers
• Salads
• Vegetables
• Carbohydrates (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta)
• Meats or meat dishes
• Desserts
• Beverages (non-alcoholic, due to park regulations)
• Miscellaneous

Examples of international foods:

• Irish – soda bread, buttered potatoes with
  parsley
• Italian – bakery pizza, salad, pasta
• German – rye bread, sauerkraut, bratwurst, kuchen (Rete)
• Polish – kielbasa, golabki (Barb), pierogi, butter lamb
• Mexican – tacos, chili dip, chili
• French – quiche (Cheryl), croissants, dessert crepes
• Asian – stir fry with rice
• Greek – chicken kabobs with rice (skewers not necessary)
• Jamaican – ?
• Swiss – cheese, chocolate