Unity Dinner 2012

Thank you so very much for your support to promote unity and diversity and thank you for your continued support to this annual unity dinner event organized by Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-US). More than 350 leaders came together along with public officials on March 23, 2012 in Fremont Marriott. More than a dozen organizations co-sponsored the event like every other year including City of Fremont, Fremont Education Foundation, Ohlone College Foundation, Washington Hospital. Thank you!

As our Honorable Mayor of Fremont Gus Morrison said: “It is vital for our existence to recognize and promote diversity and this annual unity dinner event organized by IACF-US is a reminder every year.”

Our thanks go to our guest of Honor Congressman Mike Honda who found time to meet with all of us. Special thanks to Carl Guardino who had a very special commitment but considered this event so important to attend. Thanks to our former Fremont Vice-Mayor and IACF leadership awards Committee chair Steve Cho for recommending and inviting Mr. Guardino. It was so thoughtful of Steve. We all benefited considerably by listening to Carl Guardino and Congressman Mike Honda who directly addressed the Job Creation issue and efforts being made in that direction.

Thanks to our wonderful emcee Dave Bonacorsi who did an exceptional job and kept us amused. The Program will be shorter next year so that guests can unwind and get on the dance floor. This year we missed the melodious singers like Rohit Saini, Dr. Deepak Sachdev and Priya Gandhi for want of time.

We were very honored to welcome our new Honorable Consul General of India Mr. N Parthasarathi along with Deputy Consul General of India Mr. Kumar Tuhin and Consul Community affairs Mr. Anand Kumar Jha.

We were delighted to welcome new President of GOPIO Silicon valley chapter, which I founded in 2007 in the silicon valley. I have now additional responsibility of the entire western region of GOPIO International and also serve on GOPIO Health. Ajay Jain Bhutoria, the new President and the vibrant team of directors are very much ready to serve the community, as they have been in the past. GOPIO International is decades old premier organization and has chapters all across the globe. It was also gratifying to bring all different Indo-American organizational heads together on the same platform, all united to make this a better place for all of us and our future generation.

We are thankful to media like Tri-City Voice , India West, Indian Express, India Abroad, Sitaare TV, Diya TV, Radio Zindagi, TV Asia, for covering the event and for their kind presence, as they do every year.

Thanks to Publisher and chief Editor of India West (Ramesh and Bina Murarka) who are also the IACF leadership award honorees for 2002, for their kind presence.

Thanks to our table sponsors Fremont Education Foundation, Ohlone College Foundation, Ron Demetro, Chandru Bhambra, Dipak Roy, City of Fremont, Former Assemblymember John Dutra, Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Citizens for better community (CBC), Dr. Deepak Sachdev, Mahesh Bajoria, County Supervisor Nate Miley, Dr. Raj Salwan, Joe Johal, Dr. Sarb Hundal, Niraj Baxi, TV Asia, Ro Khanna, Rahul Roy and GOPIO SV chapter, Washington Hospital, Deepak Ganju of Bank of America, Dr. K.Thusu (Fresno), Dr. Krishna Reddy based in southern California (Founder of Indian American Friendship Council) and Comcast.

Thanks to Congressman Pete Stark for his guidance, support and continued sponsorship.

Thanks to Lisa of Collective Discovery for keeping our web site updated.

Thanks to all those who I might have inadvertently missed.

I know we need to work harder to make this event more enjoyable for you. Therefore, I request you to feel free to send your suggestions in confidence. It is your event and we will make sure that we will incorporate your input to make it more enjoyable.

Thank you for picking up a copy of my book The Last Smile – A Journey of hope. It was so encouraging to see the interest as 300 copies were taken. Please do read chapter 17 which talks about unregulated over the counter supplements and how important it is to push a state level and federal legislation against the manufacturers who are free to market this poison. Our Assemblymember and Senator are very aware of this.
Our Congressman Pete Stark and Mike Honda are also very aware of this problem and I thank them for working on this issue.

See you at the 12th anniversary of Unity dinner event which is scheduled to be held on Friday March 22, 2013 in Fremont Marriott.

Be well.
Jeevan Zutshi, (510) 589-3702

Program

Date: March 23, 2012 (Friday)

Time: 6.15 PM to 11:30 PM

PROGRAM STARTS AT 7:00 PM SHARP

Fremont Marriott
46100 Landing Parkway, Fremont, CA 94538

Guest of Honor: Congressman Mike Honda

Keynote Speaker: Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group

Media Partners:
India West, Tri-City Voice, The Argus, India Abroad, Women Now, Sitarre TV, Diya TV, TV Asia, India Post, The Argus

Master of Ceremonies: Dave Bonaccorsi

Awards and Recognition Committee:
Tim Reilly, Union Bank
Steve Cho, Former Fremont Vice Mayor

Supporting organizations: (Partial List)
Ohlone College Foundation
City of Fremont
Citizens for Better Community (CBC)
Fremont Education Foundation (FEF)
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
Federation of Indo-American Associations (FIA)
FIA of Northern California – FIANC
GOPIO International
BRAHMA KUMARI WORLD SPIRITUAL ORGANIZATION

Silver Sponsor ($1500 and above)
Amirra and Dr. Basil Besh (Precision Surgicenter, Orthopaedic & Rehab)
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Ph.D
Dr. Krishna Reddy Dental Centers, Bell Flower, CA (Founder, IAFC)
Rahul Roy

Table Sponsors: ($800)
Ohlone College Foundation
Fremont Education Foundation (FEF)
Washington Hospital Foundation
City of Fremont
Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley, Board President
TV Asia
Federation of Indo-Americans (FIA)
Dr. Sarbjit Hundal, Mission Eye Care Center
Joe Johal
FIANC
Merrill Lynch – Deepak and Reeta Ganju
Dipak Roy – Fremont Bank
American Animal Hospital
Citizens for better community (CBC)
Dr. Deepak Sachdev
GOPIO Silicon Valley Chapter
Ron Demetro,
Drs Kajori and K. Thusu

Live Performance by: Rohit Saini and Priya Gandhi

Photographer: Srinivas Murthy

Videographer: Viraj Patel and Sachin

DJ by DJ Paul and DJ Ram

Unity Dinner 2012 Program

Social Hour

National Anthem
Indian
American

Opening Remarks
Hon. Mayor Gus Morrison

Keynote Speaker: Carl Guardino
(Introduction by Rahul Zutshi)

Address by Hon. Consul General of India
(Introduction by Niraj Baxi, GOPIO and NFIA Founding member)

Introduction of Board Members of GOPIO-Silicon Valley Chapter
By Jeevan Zutshi, (GOPIO International Area Coordinator- Western Region),
Niraj Baxi, Haresh Panchal, (GOPIO International Founding members),
Ajay Jain Bhutoria,(President, GOPIO-Silicon Valley chapter)

Indo-American leadership

Dinner

Special songs by:
Rohit, Dr. Deepak Sachdev and Priya

(9-12 year) Dance performance by Rhythm-N-Steps
(Introduction by Sheetal Ohri)

Role of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce in creation of jobs
By Ro Khanna
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Commerce
(Introduction and brief comments by Jeevan Zutshi, IACF-US Founder)

Unity and Diversity: Lessons

Alameda County District 4 Supervisor
Nate Miley, Board President

Dr. Basil Besh, Chairman of Orthopaedics,
Washington Hospital

Anjali Shaykher Zutshi, Attorney

(Introductions by
Bob Swanson, President Spectrum Community Services

Sharan Dhanoa presents
The Last Smile: A Father’s Love Story [Paperback]
Author: Jeevan Zutshi

Please pick up your complimentary copy from
Sharan Dhanoa. This is in appreciation of your continued support
for this annual Unity dinner event to promote and celebrate Diversity.
The book is also available on Amazon for $25.95

Guest of Honor Address
Congressman Mike Honda
(Introduction by Former CA State Assembly member John Dutra)

Scintillating Bhangra performance
Dhol Rhythms
info@dholrhythms.com
(Introduction by Sheetal Ohri)

IACF Leadership Awards

Scintillating Bhangra performance
Dhol Rhythms

IACF Leadership Awards

Community Service Awards
Introductions by Jeevan Zutshi

Vote of Thanks
Dr. Naresh Sharma, IACF President

Live Performance Rohit, Priya & DJ/DANCE

Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law of California for charitable purposes. Jeevan Zutshi of Fremont, California founded it in 1994. He saw a need for Indo-Americans to get involved in mainstream America by working on issues affecting them in their adopted land. The purpose of the non-profit is to bring entire diversity together to address serious issues facing the community at large; promote understanding and positive relations through seminars and conventions; provide financial assistance to needy and deserving individuals.

IACF-USA is committed to serve the entire community by promoting Unity in Diversity by celebrating diversity through its Annual Unity Dinner events.

Tax ID Number: 94-3304171

View past events on YouTube

Unity Dinner 2012

Unity through Diversity: Creating Jobs in California

Global organization of the people of Indian origin (GOPIO- Silicon Valley chapter)

Together we build a tapestry of colorful cultures

Press Coverage

A message from Founder Jeevan Zutshi

Program

Time: 6.15 PM to 11:30 PM

Unity Dinner 2012 Program

Global organization of the people of Indian origin
(GOPIO- Silicon Valley chapter)