It’s a Bharatanatyam Dance concert, TRIKONA, performed in the Centrepointe Theatre in Nepean, ON, on June 08. Sadly, Mrs. Pada lost her husband and two daughters in the Air India flight 182. She very generously came forward to raise funds for the humanitarian work of MSMF, also supported by Help the Aged Canada, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). His Excellency Shri Prem K. Budhwar, High Commissioner of India, and his wife, Shrimati Kusum Budhwar were the guests of honour. The Honourable Mrs. Flora MacDonald was the MC. Among the audience, there were guests invited from Federal Government Departments, Cultural Community, and Volunteer Organizations. Also present were Dr. V. K. Raju, Ophthalmologist. President of Eye Foundation of America, Morgantown, WV , and Dr. Kjell Dahlen, Ophthalmologist, Eye Care for the Adirondacks, Plattsburgh, NY. After the recital, MSMF Humanitarian Awards were presented to Dr. Raju, Dr. Dahlen and Mrs. Pada. From the MSMF Board, Mr. Krishna Gupta was responsible for making this fundraiser possible.

Ms. Deepti Gupta, an exponent of India’s well known Kathak Dance Form, gave a concert to raise awareness and funds, in Southam Hall, Carleton University, Ottawa. Deepti’s friend, Ms. Saveeta Sharma, participated in the program. His Excellency Shree Rajnikant Verma, High Commissioner for India in Canada and his wife Shrimati Mrinalini Verma were the chief guests. Mr. Krishna Gupta, a Member on the Board of MSMF, was responsible for planning and organizing the event.

Ms. Rashmi Venkateswaran, a melodious singer of South Indian Classical music, gave a concert in Ottawa. She was accompanied on the violin by her sister, Meena, and on the Mridamngam by her brother, Anand.

Ms. Anuradha Naimpally (Bajekal) gave a thrilling Bharathanatyam dance performance. Her brother, Ravi, supported her performance on the Tabla. Dr. Stephen Inglis, DG, Canadian Museum Of Civilization, was the guest of honour. Mr. Krishna Gupta and Sarma Vishnubhatla managed the programs with support from the other Board Members.

Ms Deepti Gupta gave two performances of Kathak, an elegant dance form of India, on June 25 and 26, in the National Arts Centre, Ottawa. Mr. Krishna Gupta and Sarma Vishnubhatla managed the programs with support from other Board Members.

Ms. Bageshree Vaze from Toronto, ON, very generously gave a fundraising program in the Betty Oliphant Theatre on July 27, 2001. Her program consisted of two beautiful traditional Indian Classical dance styles, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. It was a great honour that we had Dr. V. K. Raju, Ophthalmologist, a founding member of Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology, from Morgantown, VW. Sarma Vishnubhatla with support from community members in Toronto organized and managed the program.

Dr. Ganga Dakshinamurthy, Coordinator of Manohar Performing Arts, and volunteer, Mr. Rao Atmuri, organized a fundraiser, Steps and Echoes, in Pantages Playhouse Theatre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The dance program was choreographed with Hindustani and Classical Music compositions. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers, it was a huge success.

Earthtones™ was an annual University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine benefit Concert aimed at supporting initiatives for destitute children around the world. The 2005 concert raised enough funds to support three organizations, one of them being MSMF. This fundraising initiative was made possible by Ms. Vandana Parnandi, who was then a student in the Faculty of Medicine.

Ms. Anup Kaushal and Ms. Sonia Arora organized a Valentine s Gala in Toronto, with a message: “All of us living outside India of all races and cultres have the ability and are fortunate enough to have choices for our families such as education and health care. The children and the less fortunate that er are trying to raise funds for, do not have these choices." “We are able to make a difference with your support. Special thanks to all of our relatives and friends for their support.” We thanked Ms. Anup Kaushal and Ms. Sonia Arora and everyone that attended.

Mrs. Rubina and Dr. Soeb Rangwala, from Montreal, after seeing the award winning CBC documentary, A Ray of Light, and also inspired by the quotation - “You make a living by what you GET, however, you make a life by what you GIVE”, arranged a cultural event to raise awareness and funds. After the event, Mrs. Rangwala said, “We all had a very enjoyable time and and went home feeling enriched for having had the opportunity of being a part of this virtuous cause”.

A dance concert ”Bring the World Closer thru’ Bharatanatyam”, by Ms. Anjali and Ms. Ramya Kuchibhatla, to raise awareness and funds in Ottawa. After the program, Anjali (age 12) said: “although I have done many stage performances, this fundraiser has made me as ecstatic as the day of my Arangetram”. She also said: “Helping raise money for MSMF makes me feel extraordinary. The fact that this art form is helping a girl in India read a book just overflows my heart with glee and joy”. And on she goes to say, “It was a great privilege to raise funds for MSMF”. Then, Ramya (age 16) said, “Service for my community has always been emphasized throughout my many years in school”. She continued, “Especially having grown in a country where firsthand experience is limited, I truly think that this is a reason that I so deeply value what MSMF is working to accomplish; it is striving for a goal that will better the community, a goal I believe everybody should adopt. It is creating a caring and safe environment for everyone, providing a chance for excellence for everyone, helping bring everyone together”. To conclude she said, “…perhaps our dance program lit the candle towards an auspicious start”.

Dr. Vinay Bhide, a renowned expert in Indian Classical Music (Hindustani), and an adjunct Professor in the Music Department at Carleton University, accompanied by Mr. Opinder Sadana, Mr. Madhu Joshi, and Mrs. Chumki Bhide, gave a concert in Ottawa, to raise funds and awareness.

Mr. Vikram Sundar and his wife Ms. Meera Suresh, Ms. Sangeeta, Ms. Meena, and Mrs. Manjul Bhatnagar organized an excellent awareness raising program for MSMF in Mississauga, Ontario. Vikram and Meera visited Sankurathri Foundation in 2007 and volunteered at Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology, where he provided comprehensive training sessions in network hardware and software, and training on troubleshooting and fixing network connectivity issues. Vikram, an avid video enthusiast, captured activities at the school, eye hospital and eye camps held in schools and villages. Meera, an accomplished artist, and an educator, volunteered to teach English to the Eye Hospital staff so that they could interact with the international ophthalmologists and visitors. At the awareness and fundraiser in Mississauga, Meera exhibited her paintings and donated proceeds of sales to MSMF.

Dr. Niranjan Vijay, who organized a fundraise in Sudbury, Ontario, said: “Sudbury is home to many kind hearted and diverse individuals”. Close to 75 people from the community attended the presentation and supported MSMF programs with funds.

Hon. Harinder S. Takhar, Minister of Government Services (Ontario) and MPP for Mississauga-Erindale hosted an information session in Mississauga. About 100 people attended the session. Other speakers at the event were:

• Dr. Peter Kertes, Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto
• Mr. Michael Schreider from Ottawa
• Dr. S. Eswar Prasad from Collingwood
• Dr. Sarma Vishnubhatla, who also was the MC.

Mr. Bob Rae and his wife Mrs. Arlene Perly Rae, CBC Correspondent, Mr. Terry Milewski, with Jaideep Mukerji were at a fundraiser for MSMF.

Shri Krupa Dance Company, the oldest Bharatanatyam school in San Francisco Bay Area, and Guru Vishal Ramani choreographed a wonderful performance by dancers of all ages entitled “Poetic Visions of Glory” at Woodside High School Performiong Arts Centre. The concert ended with Guru Vishal presenting a donation cheque to MSMF.