IInd Annual Diwali Party Report Part 2 and Part 3

The Second Annual Diwali party was an resounding success. The event, which sold out weeks in advance, has been awaited by our membership with breathless anticipation.

Photo Credit: Mr Bala Busam, professional photographer, Click N Clicks.

The event was held in the main forum of Tom Matsumoto Elementary school located on Mackinwoods Lane, was filled to capacity. Nearly 500 members of the Evergreen Desi Organisation attended the Diwali function.

Photo Credit: Ms. Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

The entire event passed off without a hitch thanks to the planning and dedicated effort by organizers Yamini Mitter, Anu Choudhury, and Sundari Josyula. A big thanks to the timely and enthusiastic help of dozens of Evergreen desi member volunteers who all worked together to pull off an event of this magnitude. Thanks also to all the participants of the cultural show and fashion show who did their part by arriving promptly on time and enabled that the tight program went off without any delays.

This year, the Diwali party started at 4:00 PM in the afternoon of October 28th. In addition to an excellent catered dinner and raffle, now staple features of our annual Diwali parties, this year we also enjoyed organised games for the children, a 2 hour long cultural programme, and a fashion show by Evergreen Desi members and their families.

On the afternoon of October 28th, dozens of guests arrived prompty on time and mingled in the schoolyard, meeting and greeting each other, where a few volunteers had set up booths for the children's amusement. The children enjoyed playing musical chairs, kid's bowling and baby basketball.

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Thanks to Mr. Ravi Kiron, Lisa Deshpande, Jyothi Bade, Rama Ekkad and Gayathri Murthy for helping to conduct these games and supervise the children. One of the highlights was the tattoo booth which was a big hit with all the children. A big thanks to Sneha Melkote for manning the tattoo booth and tirelessly applying the tattoos for all the children till all the tattoos ran out.

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Evergreen Desi members partook of steaming hot tea and mixed vegetable pakoras catered by local restaurant Peacock India cafe...while restaurant owner Raman Sanchula personally stood by to supervise all the catering arrangements.

Photo Credit: Mr Bala Busam, professional photographer, Click N Clicks.

All the guests then moved into the Forum and took their seats while Evergreen Desi members presented a cutural programme.

Photo Credit: Ms. Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Organizer Anu Choudhury compered the cultural program. The first item was a beautiful classical song by the students of Deepali Ghate-Deglurkar.

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

This was followed by a rousing Tamil dance number which had many members of the audience clapping along.

Photo Credit: Vayshali Kothari, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

This was followed by an inspirational song in Hindi...

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

..and a beautiful Oddissi dance. The gorgeous costumes and choreography simply wowed the audience.

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Sundari Josyula, President of the Evergreen Desis, gave a speech welcoming all the attendees and summarising the association's accomplishments over the past year.

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

This was followed by a mindblowing sitar recital by the students of Ustad

Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

The sponsors for this year's Diwali party were invited onto the stage and felicitated.

This sponsors for this year's party were Dr. Meena Sathappan, pediatrician, of Aasha Pediatrics; Dr. Shashwati Kale, a general and family physician with the Evergreen Hills group and Dr. Manjari Raghupathy, a dentist with a private practice on Jackson Road. Their generous donations enabled us to hold this party. Their contributions were used to pay for renting the forum, and pay for some of the event expenses.

L-R: dance participant, sponsor Dr. Manjari, organizer Yamini Mitter, dance participant, sponsor Dr. Meena, organizer Anu Choudhury, organizer Sundari Josyula. Dr. Kale was unable to attend the function owing to a death in the family.

Photo Credit: Mr Bala Busam, professional photographer, Click N Clicks.

This was followed by a dance item.

.Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer

Varsha Kumar, President of Bihar Samaj, and Vinita Kumar, Director of the Avartan Dance Group, were recognized for their ongoing extraordinary assistance to the Evergreen Desi Association.

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Raman Sanchula, of the Peacock India restaurant, was recognized for his enthusiastic material assistance to the Evergreen Desi Association.

.Photo Credit: Ashok Setty, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

A short play followed...

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Photo Credit: Monty Gill, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

This was followed by a song...

.Photo Credit: Nitin Salunke, Evergreen Desi member and volunteer.

Still to come: more songs and dances, the fashion show, dinner, raffle and general dancing.