CHICAGO: Betalish Gam KPS Chicago celebrated its first picnic on Sunday, July 7 at Busse Wood in Elk Grove Village with over 1600 members and guests turning up to be part of this grand Mela.
The event that started around 11 am went full-fledged with lot of activities till 7 pm. Over 12 volunteers from the Youth 42 group – the organization’s youth arm – should get full credit for event planning to a successful culmination complete with registration details to ushering the seniors
The hot summer sun did not dampen the spirits of any one. All the food items were prepared by members of the organization and they were aplenty ranging from grilled corn on the cob, ripe watermelon, kichu and gota as appetizers. The lunch/dinner began with made to order Dosas from Schaumburg’s Sankalp restaurant. Along side these came Pav Bhaji, Biryani and Gulab Jamun for dessert.
A raffle was organized to put a competitive edge to the day giving away laptops, tablets and Flat TVs. Children of all ages had plenty to do. For the youngest, there were inflatable slides rented locally. Volleyball, the Indian game of Kho Kho, cricket and Garba were arranged for some of the adults.
The event was a huge success and the Betalish Gham is already discussing plans for next year’s picnic. The next event will be annual Garba in October 2013. This event was a huge success last year with over 2000 people in attendance. A live band will be present to give the audience the true feel of this hot favorite Gujarati cultural extravaganza.
The Betalish (42) Gham Samaj of Chicago is a relatively new organization, established about two years ago. The founders of this group wanted to provide a platform to those hailing from Mehsana area of Gujarat for social interactions and keep their traditions alive. All of these individuals can trace their roots to the Mehsana District of Gujarat.
The Executives Committee consists of Devendra Patel (President), Dr Paresh Patel (Vice-President), Kirit Patel (Secretary), Rasik Patel (Treasurer), and Ashvin Patel (Joint-Secretary).
Asian Media USA
