It was an evening to remember! The Boston glitterati turned up in colorful sarees and elegant cummerbunds, ready for good food, great company and awesome entertainment, all for a good cause.
'Bowties &Bangles,' AIF's second Annual Benefit Gala was held in Boston on November 8 2008, with the objective of raising funds for charitable causes in India. The event was attended by prominent Bostonians who came from different walks of life but were bound by a common mission: to help the underprivileged in India. The fund raising money, will be channeled by AIF to NGOs working for social and economic growth in India.
The attendees were a diverse mix comprising of physicians and entrepreneurs, volunteers and venture capitalists. Despite the economic recession there was a strong sense of giving among the patrons. As Raj Sharma, pointed out “Philanthropy in this environment is more important than ever'. And the spirit of philanthropic generosity could be seen with youngsters and adults alike working hard to make the gala a success.
The evening commenced with cocktails and a silent auction of various artifacts for charity with a perfect backdrop of soulful music from 'Bangalore'group. Sorboni Banerjee, a journalist with Channel 7, was the mistress of ceremonies. A touching pre-dinner film on the people whose lives AIF had managed to transform, set the tone for the evening. The chief guest for the event was William Cohen, former Secretary for Defense, and currently the Chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group in Washington DC. Cohen pointed out the similarities between Indian and American ideals in his key note address. Praising the AIF's mission of helping the under privileged in India, he stated that that 'soft power' is more powerful than 'hard power' and that AIF's transformational work in India was a great example of the former.
The event also honored Sivan Subramaniam, the Chairman and CEO of FM Global, one of the world's largest property insurance companies. Mr. Subramaniam expressed his admiration for AIF's objectives, saying that he feels that prevention is the best remedy and AIF was playing a valuable role by focusing on the root causes of poverty and underdevelopment in India.
Other speakers included Gala Chair Jonathan Bush, who paid a tribute to the spirit of entrepreneurship among Indians who, despite facing unimagined hardships, had substantial accomplishments to their credit. Pradeep Kashyap made an impassioned plea for contributions specifically targeted at transforming the lives of hundreds of rickshaw pullers of India and received generous pledges for the same.
The delicious dinner catered by Bombay Club was followed by a live auction of artwork and exotic vacation packages that was enthusiastically received by the audience. Kavitha Mantha and Vinay Kashyap kept the energy going with enthusiastic bidders. Bostonian ladies like Mrs. Nalini Sharma and Mrs. Reema Chandra were also feted at the event for their hard work and enthusiasm for the cause and shared their experiences of India and the difference that AIF was making. Amit Chandra, a longtime Bostonian, said that the level of involvement with activities targeting the Indian underprivileged is growing among the Indian Americans. He also stated that he was greatly attracted by the idea of venture philanthropy, the main idea behind the AIF. Other Bostonians also commented on how proud they were to be associated with an event which was helping make a difference to the lives of Indians.
The evening's entertainment consisted of a contemporary dance performance by Aparna Sindhoor who, among other pieces, gave an evocative rendering of Draupadi’s Angst. The evening ended with a high octane performance by the South Asian-Western fusion dance troupe Brown Badmash, with an enthusiastic audience also participating in the lively dancing.
For Boston and the AIF, the bowties and bangles gala was a happy reunion that combined a delicious mix of fun and philanthropy.
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