CHELMSFORD, MA—The Boston Chapter of Sewa International celebrated its 2nd annual Holi event on March 22 at the Chelmsford High School on Chelmsford, MA, and raised $2,800. The event, sponsored by State Street Corporation, was attended by 275 guests.The fund was raised during the event through sales of colors and food made by Sewa International volunteers. The funds raised from this event will be ear-marked for one of Sewa’s healthcare projects called “Arogya Mitra” in India. This will enable the organization to support about 1800 underprivileged people in six villages for one full year.
The ambience of the event was aptly informal that provided the audience a feeling of bonhomie to freely express their joy and excitement. The cultural segment kicked off with a divine invocation by the Emcees followed by a group song on Holi by children of Balagokulam. A poem recital by Sanjay Gupta and a Holi skit oration by the graduates of •Circles of Growth’ group further reiterated the spirit of Holi. These graduates were trained by Paresh Motiwala, Principal of •Circles of Growth’.
Bollywood song performances by shining star Sachi Badola, multi-talented Aditya Pant, and the seasoned Debarathi Roy thoroughly grooved the audience. Energetic dance performances, one from the Desi Rhythms Boston School of Dance trained by Archana Gorur and the other by Natasha Kumar, a student of Ranjani Saigal, swept the audience off their feet. If the cultural program got
the audience into the right mood, Funtakshari (a competitive singing game) took it to a whole different level.
A brief presentation by Sewa Volunteers enlightened the audience on Sewa’s local projects, including •Feed the Hungry’ program, where volunteers prepare meals for 250 homeless and hungry people at Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, MA, every month.
The event was graced by the presence of Ms. Dawn DuBose, HR Officer of Global Inclusion program at State Street Corporation, main sponsor of the event. Dawn very eloquently shared her observations on the overall program and inspired the volunteers to continue to excel in their community outreach commending them for all the good work.
Sewa International is a 501(c)(3) Hindu faith-based nonprofit charity organization. Sewa International in the USA has 38 chapters in 22 states. Sewa is a word in Sanskrit language and translates to service above self – essentially Selfless Efforts for Welfare of All. Sewa International in the USA (started in 2003) is inspired by the international Sewa movement that began in India in 1989. Internationally, the Sewa movement is active in 17 countries.