LONG BEACH, CA: The Federation of Gujarati Samaj of Southern California (FGSSC) brings back the Western Regional Rass, Garba and Folk Dance competition on June 21 at Long Beach Poly Auditorium in California. For the first time, the Federations of Gujarati Association of North America (FOGANA) had hosted the Annual North American Raas, Garba and Folk Dance Competition on the West Coast by FGSSC in 2006.

The regional competition was held in Riverside on July 8 and the national competition was held on August 26, 2006 at the distinguished Long Beach Terrace Theatre with great success. With more than 20 teams performing, the upcoming 2008 regional competition is sure to bring back the charm of the 2006 events. FOGANA Raas, Garba, and Folk Dance competition is the only nationwide event dedicated to preserving Gujarati culture through traditional dances performed by participants of all ages.

Founded in 1980, FOGANA aims to bring together Gujaratis living across North America by providing a common platform to sustain and perpetuate the cultural heritage of Gujarat. In 28 years, FOGANA has become the largest organization representing the vibrant Gujarati community.

One of the means FOGANA uses to achieve its objectives is to conduct competitions of Raas, Garba and Folk Dance that form an integral part of any celebration in the Gujarati culture. FGSSC, founded in 2005 by various leaders of the Gujarati community, is a platform for promotion of social, cultural and educational development.

The primary mission for creating this platform is to offer an avenue through which our youth can learn about Gujarat's rich traditions and cultural heritage and be able to pass on their culture to future generations. It is this spirit of passion and commitment which FGSSC aims to instill in the local Gujarati community through the 2008 FOGANA Western Regional competition.