Bighelp Pongal/Republic Day Celebrations were celebrated on January 12, 2008.  This 5th annual fund raiser for the Bighelp organization was attended by over 550 people.  This event celebrated not only the festive occasions, but also showcased the talent among both children and adults by conducting a number of contests and by providing them an opportunity to exhibit their talents on stage through cultural programs.

The event lasted for nearly 7 hours, starting off with the Spelling Bee which was conducted at 3 levels for Grades 1-6, Coloring contest for kids ages 1-6, Art contest for all kids, and Rangoli contest for the adults.  The cultural programs that followed the contests were numerous yet varied.  There were traditional classical dances, dances to the movie song medleys, folk dances, patriotic and classical songs sung by groups of children as well as adults, and a special Roller Skates dance.  Audience enjoyed the soulful dances and the melodious songs alike.

In his presentation, the President of Bighelp, Mr. Chand Pasha, restated the need for continuous support for needy children and iterated the worthiness of the cause.  He updated the audience with the work done and progress made in the past year.  He said the funds raised during this event will be utilized for sponsoring the education of new children, adopt new schools to improve the quality of education and support special needs children with physically and mentally challenged. He also acknowledged the support of all the volunteers of the organization and announced the “Best Volunteer of the Year 2007” award to Mr. Rahul Patil.

The contest winners were all awarded prizes by the honorary guests invited this year.  Delicious food prepared by the volunteers was served at the conclusion of the event.

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