By Margot Thomas

OCTOBER is a special month for Canadians bringing the magnificent fall colors to maple forests, and   “Thanksgiving.”

It’s a celebration that is held on the second Monday in the month, and is marked, like the American Thanksgiving. with turkey as the center piece of a groaning table with all the trimmings, shared with family and friends, which means you don’t have to be a Cannuck for a great night out

In Panama the CanadaPLUS  Foundation stages the event on the preceding Saturday, which this year means October 8.

It will be held at The Miramar Intercontinental which has never failed to live up to expectations in terms of quality and quantity.

[caption id="attachment_63687" align="alignleft" width="300"] "So dangerous places"[/caption]

The tickets for the event are a collector’s item welcoming guests to a remembrance  of the first Thanksgiving on the American continenr in 1578 by Martin Frobisher and his crew for “ Their strange and  miraculous deliverance in those so dangerous places”,

Frobisher was on his third voyage in search of the North West Passage and   while wedged in the ice searched for sailors who disappeared  in the frozen waste of what is now called  Baffin Island

A Bay  is named after him, reminding Canadians of his place in the country’s history.

Panama link

[caption id="attachment_63692" align="alignright" width="172"] Sir Martin Frobisher[/caption]

Frobisher  was later knighted before sailing off to join Drake and other buccaneers lifting the gold carried on  Spanish galleons sailing out of Portobelo.

All of which will be celebrated along with the Canadian Ambassador and Embassy staff, on Oct 8, with feasting, an open wine bar from 7.30 pm,  dancing, lots of  door prizes, surprise entertainment and an introduction to the upcoming musical “Panama” written by two Canadians.

All funds raised will go to the staging of the annual Carols By Candlelight concert organized by the Foundation raising funds for Hospital Santo Tomas and Vision of Hope.

The  evening will be rounded off with an auction including return direct flight tickets to Canada donated by Copa Airlines.

Reservations
The donation  for the Thanksgiving Celebration is  $65 for members $75 nonmembers.

To reserve call 6619-6890 or e-mail clubcanadaplus

The last date for reserving tickets is October 1, which gives you just a month. Some early shoppers have already received their tickets.