Columbus, Ohio is in the news again as preparations towards the all-awaiting 2012 New Year Party of the Asantemankuo approaches. Phone calls, postal mail and flyers are all out directing members of Asantemankuo and the entire Ghanaian community to the auditorium of Saint Anthony Catholic Church at 1300 Urban Drive, Columbus, OH 43229, on Saturday, January 7, 2012 from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Christmas makes us think of people we love, people who walked with us on our life journey, and people we lost along the way. For almost ten years, Asantemankuo has been a Christmas and a New Year presence in the lives of Ghanaians in Columbus. Asantemankuo New Year parties are so unique that people begin asking about it even in September. Ghanaians from as far as Cincinnati, Toledo, Chicago and Detroit have already made plans to join friends in Columbus on January 7.

The chairperson for the dinner dance planning committee, Mr. Kofi Boakye, the eloquent and dynamic Master of Ceremony (M.C.) in Ohio, has promised to make the event “classy and fantastic.” He intimated that without Asantemankuo of Columbus many of the Ghanaians in the metropolis would have lost a connection with our rich cultural heritage and values of hospitality and caring. “Without Asantemankuo we could have had a lesser community with whom to share our joys and grief,” he opined.

The admission-free event is for all Ghanaian families and friends. Food and drink will be in abundance to mimic Christmas in Ghana. One thing that Mr. Boakye insisted on was the dress code for the occasion. “Dress to impress. That’s all we ask,” he pleaded. “It should be dinner wear, traditional dress for women, and suit and tie. No jeans, no shorts, and no tennis shoes. It will be classic,” he emphasized.

Side attractions include raffle draws. Prizes would be a large digital flat screen television, a digital camera and a store gift card of $100. Sponsors for the event will be introduced and recognized. For further information, please contact M.C. Boakye at (614) 866-4172.