Klingon Ball 2008
September 6,2008 was the date for the IKV Melota's 3rd annual Klingon
ball in Arlington,TX. Cmdr Ri'Par was in attendance representing the IKV Bayou Serpent. All proceeds went to benefit Safe Haven of
Tarrant county,a shelter for abused women.I had been wanting to
attend one for a couple of years and this year I got lucky enough
that it didn't fall on a date too close to anything else I had
planned. I arrived the night before after a 4 hour drive and was
graciously given room and board by Salek and sQueezinart. The day of
the ball began around 9am with me helping several Melota members
decorate the room that was rented at Lake Arlington. A service I was
happy to provide. After several hours of decorating we got into
costume and the ball started around 6:00pm. There were members from 2
Klingon ships and at least 2 feddie ships present. Everyone was given
a packet that contained a game,voting slips for various trophies,and
other trinkets. There were door prizes that ranged from Salek's
bloodwine to Trek books,a raffle with about 15 donated items,and a
silent auction with many very nice items. I personally donated 2 Star
Wars posters,4 limited edition Star Wars 3-D prints,and a bottle of
my bloodwine signed by Chancellor Martok. There was much food and some of
it was judged by the attendees for originality,flavor,and appearance.
After eating,everyone did their own thing for a while,getting to know
each other,taking photos at the prom-like arch with nebula backdrop
which were printed out and given to you on the spot,and dancing. I
hate dancing but even I was dragged onto the floor (literally) a few
times. I demonstrated a form of Klingon dance that no one had seen.
It's similar to riverdance but you move your arms and keep your legs
stationary,just the opposite of riverdance. Charlie Rodriguez of the
Melota should have gotten a trophy for best dancer and even gave a
few lessons since he teaches dance. At the end of the night trophies
were handed out for the following:
Best Male costume: Cmdr Ri'Par of the IKV Bayou Serpent
Food awards were as follows:
But the whole reason for the ball wasn't just to have fun. A total of
$635 was raised along with 307 pounds of non-perishable
items,clothing,and even a microwave. Qapla to all involved and thanks
for the invite,I had a great time!
Best Female Costume: Donna Whitaker for her 19th
Century Minbari outfit
Most Original costume was also won by Donna
Most Humorous: Charlie Rodriguez
Best Flavor was won by Liz Weber of the Melota for her "Maroon
Monster"
Best appearance and most original were both taken by Lynn Alcala of
the Melota.