Friends OF ARCH Annual Gala Dinner & Youth Celebration
September 26, 2015 · Flushing Hindu Temple Auditorium
Press Release: Friends of ARCH Annual Gala & Youth Event
“Friends of Arch” (Action Research in Community Health & Development), a non-profit organization, celebrated its 21st Annual Gala Dinner , 2-day event in New York and its Annual Gala Dinner night in Tampa, Florida, in support of its ongoing noble activities. The celebrations included a wonderful & melodious Bollywood Musical Extravaganza by “Bollywood Masti” (Sa Re Ga Ma Fame Vishwajeet Borwankar, Sajda Sisters fame Shivranjini Pandit, Sirish and group) for a very heartfelt cause.
Dr. Daxa Patel, who has been the backbone of the activities of this organization, flew all the way from India to present and share the inspirational activities. A team of tireless volunteers, under the guidance and leadership of USA President Mr. Rajni Gandhi & Dr. Jyoti Gandhi, worked day and night for weeks to make the 2-day program a grand success. Mr. Kamlesh (Vice President) & Mrs. Madhu Parekh, Dr. Chhaya (Treasurer ) & Dr. Mahendra Patel, Mrs. Kaushika (Secretary) & Mr. Rajesh Patel (Program Coordinator) , Mrs. Flora Parekh (Gen. Secretary, PR & M.C.) & Mr. Paresh Parekh, Mrs. Shashi & Mr. Subhash Kapadia (PR), Mrs. Jagruti & Mr. Krupesh Shah, Drs. Lila & Mahendra Shah, Dr. Shashi Tolia, Mrs. Saumika & Mr. Akash Patel, Dr. Surekha Patel, Mrs. Vandana & Esq. Anil Shah, Mrs. Vasumati & Mr. Sukhdev Vyas , Mrs. Hema & Dr. Sumati Shah and several other volunteers worked day and night to make this event a huge success. The event included sumptuous dinner and Bollywood musical program.
Several organization presidents, community leaders and attendees generously donated and expressed their support for friends of ARCH. Several youth have felt for the cause and have supported the activities by donating their wedding, baby shower, Aarangetram, birthday etc funds for this noble cause. A young volunteer, Trisha Shroff was recognized for generously donating her Aarangetram funds this year.
The main objective of the FOA organization is to help and support health and medical services in rural areas of India. 20 years back we started this journey to support ARCH-India, our parent organization. This is the 34th year of ARCH empowering tribal people from the remote areas of Gujarat, India. The organization supports various activities and programs like Health Program, TB Cure program, Health Education, School Education Program, Land & Community Forest Rights Programs, Soil & Moisture Conservation Program and Various activities for the tribal people of Mangrol, Taluka Rajpipla, District Narmada, Dharampur, District Valsad, Serving Tribal villages of Narmada (Dediapada), Vadodra and other tribal districts of Gujarat. Several under nourished children and women are treated regularly for malnutrition.
Dharampur dispensary now provided medical care to patients from surrounding 350 villages. Low cost laboratory tests and ultrasonogram continue to be in great demand with approx. 685 sonographies and 37,000 plus laboratory tests last year and the number keeps on growing. Mobile health camps treated over 1800 patients. This year we have added more villages to the community health program, making a total of 30 villages with about 40,000 population.
ARCH has reached out to approx. 6500 children across more than 7 locations involving about 150 teachers directly or indirectly through other NGO’s. Several new programs like mobile Active Library Program – “Mari Vachan Gadi – Vanche Dharampur”, Teaching with Tablets, have been launched to nurture children education.
Celebrations continued the next day with a special Youth event conducted under the guidance of Dr. Daxa Patel & Dr. Jyoti Gandhi. Ms. Lily Hamburger, who has been involved for several year and had served the ARCH Indian rural areas in person for over a year, flew all the way from Michigan to help host the Youth program with ARCH volunteers Flora Parekh, Akash Patel and several committee members.
The organization, in the truest sense, is committed to working for the benefit of the downtrodden and the destitute and encourages everyone to join and support the noble cause. Additional information can be located on our websites at www.friendsofarch.org, www.archgujarat.org and www.arch-vahini.org.