With active participation of over 4,500 Telugu people, Florida Telugu Sambaraalu was a huge success. This was the biggest Telugu event ever, conducted in Florida. The 12 hour event was conducted in Orlando, at the World Center Marriott, on May 31, 2008. With meticulous planning and execution, the organizing team arranged fun for kids through Kid Zone, talent shows by the members of Telugu Associations in Florida, a platform for voluntary & charitable organizations like Vision 2020 to expound their ideas, commercial and non-commercial exhibits, and a scintillating music concert by Mani Sharma and his troupe. Mega movie producer Mr. Ashwini Dutt, Cine comedians Brahmanandam and Venumadhav were felicitated. In addition to the music and shopping bonanza, attendees had the pleasure of experiencing a mouth-watering, authentic, Andhra feast. The event was attended by members from all over Florida and from the neighboring states like Georgia. Several prominent leaders from the Telugu community across North America were present at the occasion.
Florida Telugu Sambaraalu was sponsored by the Society for Education and Health (USayHi.org), a non-profit organization promoting education and health among the under privileged, and all four Telugu associations in Florida - Telugu Association of Jacksonville Area (TAJA), Telugu Association of Florida (TAF-Tampa), Telugu Association of Greater Orlando (TAGO), and Telugu Association of South Florida (TASF). The heartwarming aspect of the event was the collaboration and camaraderie exhibited by the members of the Telugu community all over Florida.
Vendors showcased artwork, jewelry, saris, and accessories, audio and video media to the enthusiastic shoppers. The booths for the non-profit organizations including Bone marrow screening, Gurukulam of Tampa Bay, Running for Humanity, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, and Saibaba Temple of Atlanta shined the spotlight on causes that were being championed by those organizations. A large number of people signed up to be a bone marrow donor which speaks volumes about their nobility.
Kid Zone was a unique and much appreciated feature at this event. The food and entertainment in the Kid Zone was well-coordinated and the registration process was smooth. Much to the joy of the kids and their parents, Kid Zone arranged in an 8,000 square foot area, was filled with arcade style games, fun activities, face painting and balloon artists and supervised babysitting. There were plenty of certified baby sitters on hand. Food and drinks were catered separately for the kids which simplified the logistics for the main banquet. The hallways, exhibit areas and Kid Zone were equipped with television screens that displayed the programs being performed on the main stage for the benefit of the kids and their parents.
The presentation about the Society for Education and Health (USayHi.org) and Lead India, Dr. Kalam's Vision 2020, piqued the interest of the attendees in volunteerism and leading charitable ventures. No detail was left to chance by the organizers and the sophisticated and streamlined event reflected the meticulous planning and commitment on the part of all the volunteers. |
