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First Fundraising Event February 28, 2004
Promise WorldWide’s first fund-raiser, held at the India Community Center (ICC) in Milpitas on February 28, 2004 was a musical soiree with a difference. It was special not only because it offered the audience an opportunity to listen to and witness some of Bay Area’s finest musical and dance talent in the space of a single evening (though that fact by itself would have been enough to set it apart) – what made it unique was the fervour and dedication with which the performers put the show together. Knowing that their efforts were making a difference to many lives halfway across the globe seemed to ignite a spark in every performers’ heart, so much so that even the youngest performers put in extra special effort to make the evening a resounding success.
The program began with Laboni Bagchi, a young danseuse, setting the tone for the evening with a delightful dance composition, set to the words of a Jagjit Singh song “Mere man ke andhe Tamas mein”, following it with a rendition of an Om Puri poem set to dance. Bibek Ghosh took the listeners on a trip down memory lane, playing some romantic oldies on the harmonica. He was followed by an all-girl band, consisting of three teenagers – Jayinee Basu, Michaela Simmons, and Barbara Nerness. Their youthful enthusiasm easily rubbed off on to the audience, who joined in enthusiastically as Jayinee belted out four numbers in quick succession.
This was followed by a presentation on Promise WorldWide – its scope, vision and current status – by Shipra Ghosh and Jaya Basu. The video clip, shot on location in Atghara, was particularly poignant, powerfully limning the efforts of the organization, and catching the unmistakable glimmers of hope in the eyes of the children of Atghara.
The second half of the evening’s program started with a medley of three short Kathak pieces, performed by Deepanwita Sengupta and Sangita Nandy, students of Guru Bandana Sen. Their first composition was a Shiv Vandana in taal Teowra, which segued into a Thumri in taal Dadra, and finally ended with a Tarana in teental, the last of which left the audience mesmerized with its frenzied rhythms and frenetic footwork. The next item introduced the audience to a new dancing star! Shubho Dutta, (who is all of eight years old) along with his sister Nandini and her friend Saloni had the guests in stitches with a choreography of a song from the hit film “Kal Ho na Ho” .
The “piece de resistance “ for the evening was a Karaoke band, comprised of six of Bay Area’s finest vocalists. Busy professionals during the day, these talented individuals nevertheless made time to indulge their inner muse, and are familiar faces on the Bay Area stage. Jayanta (Jay) Roy, Sudip Nag, Shuben Khatua, Swati Bhattacharya, Sonali Bhattacharya and Kohinoor Chakraborty had the audience rooting for more, as they effortlessly transitioned from golden oldies like “Roj Roj Dali Dali” (Angoor) or “Babauji Dheere Chalna” (Aar Par) to recent hits like “Radhaa Kaise na jale” (Lagaan) or “Jadu hai nasha hai” (Jism). Sky Basu, who acted as the audio engineer for the evening, did an excellent job of handling the complicated sound requirements of the band.
The evening’s MC was Swagato Basumallick, whose bilingual MCing helped establish and maintain an easy rapport with the audience.
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Fundraising Event Sep 18, 2004
A gala dinner fundraiser was organized by our board members to raise funds for the project in Atghara, Kolkata. It was a fun-filled evening featuring various music and entertainment sections. Thanks to all the donors who made it possible for us to raise over $6,000 to benefit our children.
It started out with a cocktail hour and went on to the highlight of the evening, a presentation on the past and present work accomplishments of PWW as well as future plans for further enhancement of the program. The presentation was followed by a short video, by National Geographic photographer Gautum Bose, on the daily life in Atghara as well as activities of the children of the project. This gave the guests a chance to meet the children and see the abject conditions they live under and also get a feel for where and how their donation dollars are making a positive difference.
The fundraiser included a gourmet dinner, catered by Bombay Garden, a silent auction, door prizes and a fashion show. The entertainment segment featured a dance by Sasha Hoffman, Ms. Teen India America 2004 and comedy by Hasan Minhaj who was recently crowned Mr. India California 2004.
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Dance Recital with Pallavi Dance Academy in Sept 2006
In Sept 2006, Promise Worldwide sponsored a dance recital with Pallavi Dance Academy to present an afternoon of Odissi, a traditional Indian Classical dance depicting soft, lyrical and graceful ornamental patterns using body movements in space and time. Odissi owes its origin to the temple dances of dev-dasis (temple dancers).
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