It was a Thanksgiving celebration with a real difference.

On 28 December 2008, one of Goh Yock Kiang’s subzone held their very own “MTV Asia Awards”. There was about 260 attendees at the event, with a lineup of “stars” that included Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Madonna, Beyonce, Hillary Duff, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera — even Elvis Presley came back to life for this!

These “celebrities” were really cell group leaders in dress-up. “Michael Jackson” and “Elvis” were a hit with the crowd, many of whom asked to take pictures with them.

The event kicked off with the group’s very own version of the gameshow, Don’t Forget the Lyrics — the contestant has to sing along to a song and recall the correct lyric when the music stops. Three teams of three were sent forth to compete and vie for prizes. As the contestants sang their parts, the crowd followed suit, with their hands up in the air, clapping to the beat of the songs.

That was followed by a session of praise, followed by a performance from the dance team of Nanyang Polytechnic. The highlight of the event was the red carpet catwalk by the leaders, dressed up in their celebrity disguises. The crowd cheered and laughed as each leader came forth and struck a pose.

“Kylie Minogue” and “Ricky Martin” sang a duet, ‘Way Back into Love’. They may not be professionally trained, but the duo had the audience transfixed. The duo went on to host the award show for the evening. Twelve special awards were presented to members; then the leaders took the opportunity to appreciate their zone leader Wenling for her love and guidance throughout the entire year, even as she took on new responsibilities in her job.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

The evening ended to the tune of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, with everyone going around shaking hands and hugging.

Even after the meeting had ended, the photo booth set up outside swarmed with members eager to take photos with their cell groups and the “celebrities”. A guest to the event, 25-year-old Adam Tham said, “The entire event is rocking. I enjoyed myself a lot.”