First anniversary of the Chicago Andhra Association (CAA) was celebrated Andhra pride on March 18 with an evening of music, dance and drama. More than thousand people have attended the event held at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, Ill..
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Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India in Chicago, was the chief guest. She commended the organization for it’s thrive in preserving the culture and service of Andhra Pradesh.
Amidst a plethora of several organizations representing the Telugu diaspora in the U.S., CAA strives to stand out with philanthropy as its main aim, with its central foundation, APDFNA, is working primarily on the service-oriented projects in Andhra Pradesh.
CAA President Sundar Dittakaviclearly stated that 25 cents of every dollar earned through the nominal annual membership to CAA would be spent on charitable causes. He emphasized the diversity in CAA by highlighting that the board consists of equal number of men and women.
Dr. Prakasam Tata was honored with Lifetime Achievement award for his dedicated services to the tribal communities and waste water management. Frank Avila, chairman, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, attended the event.
Sahiti Kotha, Kiran Adimulam, Sairavi Suribhotla and Mrudulatha Mathukumalli were the emcees for the evening. The entertainment included various dance, music and drama performances by kids and adults. “Beauty of Andhra” describing the greatness of the state, a fashion show by senior citizens with “Unity in Diversity” theme were the highlights of the evening. A skit on modern-day challenges such as academic rigor for students and weight-loss struggle for adults were also performed.
The cultural team was lead by Sahithi Kotha, Sirisha Kola, Neelima Boddu, Sujatha Appalaneni and Vani Dittakavi managing 290 performers. The stage decoration was led by Bhargavi Nettem, Sunitha Rachapalli, Kiran Vankayalapati and Malleswari Pedamallu. Treasurer Raghav Jatla, APDFNA Director Padma Rao Appalaneni, Sailesh Maddi, Srikrishna Matukumalli, Srihari Jasti welcomed the members with traditional gifts from Andhra Pradesh.
Youth volunteers were coordinated by Sandhya Appalaneni and Tanvi Jatla. Event team was lead by Sunitha Rachapalli and has executed the overall event with meticulous planning. Media coverage was led by Bhanu Swargam, Murthy Pisipati and Prasad Nettem.
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Dinner with Andhra delicacies were served by Anu Gampala and Suresh Sanakkayala’s team. CAA Vice President Uma Katiki and founding committee chairman Srinivas Pedamallu and Secretary Dinkar Karumuri gave the vote of thanks and concluded the event with both the U.S. and Indian national anthems.
By Premji
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