Club 65 Takes a Trip to Coushatta Casino

By Jaseem Pasha, MD

HOUSTON: On January 18, 54 Houstonian Seniors of the Club 65 made a trip all the way to the City of Kinder in the Southwest Louisiana to join in the 20th anniversary celebration of the Coushatta Casino Resort, a hustle and bustle place, a magnificent complex, and frankly not a bad place to spend few hours and have fun.
The Club 65 has made its name. Members are always waiting for the first Saturday to get together each month. For this trip the entire executive committee of Club 65, including Farida Jinnah, Treasurer, Rozina Jaferali, Volunteer, under the adroit leadership of its President Paru McGuire, assisted by Fatehali Chatur, Chairman of Board of Directors, worked very hard to ensure that the senior members have a great time. And, indeed, they did.
It was a custom ordered day – blue skies and the cool breeze, which welcomed the Club 65 members at a refreshment stop on the border of TX and LA. The almost 4-hour trip started with goodie bag of orange juice, glucose biscuits, fruit bits, granola bar and chips. Entertained with a movie and the brouhaha, all made it to the Casino by noon.
Everyone was the first time visitor. As a courtesy of the Club of 65, each senior received a $15.00 a head so people could buy their own lunch and a $20 complimentary coupon to play at the Casino. There were long lines for registration but everything was well managed. Then everyone spread out to play or just watch and did not meet until the time to board the bus at 3:45 pm.
Coushatta Casino Resort was certainly a gambling place by definition. It was not exactly the frill or the glamour that Vegas have. There were lots of slot machines varying from 1¢ to five dollars, few table games, such as poker, baccarat, blackjack, and craps, the digital roulette game and plenty of TV screens to watch the sporting events. The lunch buffet was okay. Many complained that the casino was “too smoky”. One could see someone’s Grandma and Grandpa chain-smoking.
While heading back to Houston, Paru McGuire and committee members made sure that everyone was kept entertained. People had a good time, singing songs, antakshari, enjoying jokes, poetry and qawwalis. Kaka, Allaudin bhai, Jamil bhai, along with Fateh bhai kept people captivated with songs and unusual remix, while Roomi bhai and Khalid bhai were hilarious with jokes and funny Shairi.
After experiencing the camaraderie that the members displayed as well as the fun they had, a few guests who also came on the trip decided to become members.
Club 65 is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of IMAGH (Indian Muslims of Greater Houston). To find out more about Club 65 or to become a member, please visit, www.imagh.org or call Paru Mcguire at 440-390-1763.