IACF Silver Jubilee Remembers its Past, Reaffirms Future Goals

 

For more IACF Social Hour pictures, click here

 

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON: The Indo American Charity Foundation celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a salute to the past and a reaffirmation to the goals that it was built on at a Gala held on Saturday, September 21 at the Hilton Americas Hotel. Almost 500 guests attended the event that featured a silent auction and was able to garner $220,000 for the Foundation’s coffers.

The Gala was more upscale than the scaled down version that was held last year at the Texas Safari Ranch that had focused most of its attention and resources on the Foundation’s newly started Education Initiative, but not as opulent as those the IACF has held in years past. This year’s Gala was a throwback to the basic format that the Foundation had used many years ago, emphasizing local talent in entertainment and a fashion show for what was an old fashioned fundraiser, as IACF President Murthy Divakaruni called the event.

The IACF is the oldest Indo American community organization that was built with the idea of philanthropy and to serve the needy in the areas of education, health, senior care and general care. It has adhered to these core areas through contributions to many local charities and also the nurture of several nascent community organizations like the Youth Leadership Development Program, Daya, Friends Helping Friends and Indo American Cancer Awareness Network by channeling funds in their direction.

The breadth and scope of the IACF’s work was captured in a special 52 page 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition book that had two pages devoted to the term of each president, featuring their Boards, achievements, events and charities supported. It was compiled and created by this reporter, who is also a Board member, as a tribute to the work that has helped to grow the local community and was distributed out to all the guests. When sixteen of the past presidents appeared on stage to be applauded, they were presented with the first copies of this Collector’s Edition.

Divakaruni spoke about the IACF’s commitment to its ideals and goals in a brief speech. His wife Chitra, who is a renowned author and had worked extremely hard alongside him to pull together the donors for the event, came on stage to make an appeal for pledges and called out the names of many of those who turned in their pledge cards. Past President Anu Bala gave tribute to the immediate past President David Raj who has end-stage terminal cancer and had been so passionate about the Education Imitative. She also invited all the sixteen previous presidents on stage.

The emcee for the evening was Channel 11 KHOU-TV news anchor Rekha Maddaraju. The event featured a fashion show entitled Silver Oasis of elegant Indian sarees and salwar kameezes from designer Simran Rihal which several previous presidents and Board members took part in it along with the young models, as well as two Indo American military reservists, Col. George Eapen, MD and Col. Kulvinder Bajwa, MD in their uniforms who escorted some of the models to great applause. Freshman US Congressman Dr. Ami Bera of California who was in town even dropped by at the end to say a few words. Incoming IACF President Ramesh Cherivirala closed the program out with thanks to all.

The entertainment was by local artists Deep Bhattacharya and Mahalakshmi Krishnan as well as the runner up to last year’s IACF Indian Idol contest Apurva Batra of Dallas  who showed off the remarkable range of voice that took him up that contest. After the dinner catered by Mahesh Shah and his Dawat Catering (also responsible for the appetizers during the social hour), DJ Impact lit up the dance floor for the late night stragglers who closed the event down. The AV production for the entire event was by the very talented and versatile Darshak Thacker and his wife Mona of Krishna Sounds.