ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY (2012)

Each year in December, Dignity/Los Angeles celebrates Christmas with a party in the home of a member who volunteers to host the party. In 2012, the party was held in the home of Michael and Aldo on December 8.

In accordance with tradition, it was a potluck affair. The "price" of admission, also in accordance with tradition, was to bring an unwrapped Christmas toy for donation to a local collection of such toys for distribution to the needy, with the objective being that every child will receive at least one toy for Christmas.

At the party, a White Elephant" drawing was also held. Each "winner" could require any one prior "winner" to surrender his or her own winnings in exchange for what the more recent "winner" had drawn. Sometimes a "winning" prized passes through the hands of many "winners" before reaching its final new owner.

Below are some candid photos taken at the event.

Jason (standing) is at the buffet, while Memo (seated at left) and Jack (seated at right) look on (and Michael is seen in the background, working in the kitchen).

Kevin displays the DVD that he won in the White Elephant drawing.

Henry admires what he has won in the White Elephant drawing.

Dan does a due-diligence inspection of the packaging, before opening what
he has obtained in the White Elephant drawing.

Liz seems quite pleased at what she got in the White Elephant drawing.

Peter may be trying to guess how many layers of packaging are too many.

Could it be that Ian is giving too much significance to what the packaging says?

Michael displays what he won. I wonder: is it a good thing that the screen is blank?