August 26, 2009
Dhruva Thapa
Bhutanese American Community center (BACC) one of the oldest and most popular organizations of Bhutanese community in USA is a California based non-profit org.
Established by Bhutanese living in bay area in November 2006, has organized a grand DJ night and Dinner program on the special and most vibrant Hindu festival of Teej in a restaurant of Berkeley on 22nd August 2009.
According to organizing community the program is a fundraising event for the community center and on 12th September they are organizing grand Cultural show featuring a popular Nepali artist Roshan Gurung in Downtown Oakland for the first time in Northern California. According to Ananta Gurung Director of the center said, It is our first ever fundraising program and we are really happy to see a lots of crowed coming and participating in this event, it gave us immense pleasure, love respect and of course good support from the Nepalese organizations of Northern California. We have been always working joining hand to local organizations and today we are happy to see them come and support our program.
The program was divided into two halves first half of the program was Vivid cultural and musical performances by Chhitiz band a newly formed Bhutanese band.
Since its inception it has organized various cultural, educational, and informative programs. Other activities of the center are job oriented training, senior center adult education, including various games and sports in Bay area.
The community is not only popular among the Bhutanese community but also has a good name and respect in the Nepalis and American community of the region. As it is stated in its mission statement the community center is to empower and integrate the Bhutanese American and other communities in the mainstream of American Society through education, advocacy and service. The center has been providing help and support to newly resettled Bhutanese and other members of any communities. The community has been providing necessary information about the places and helps them established by offering any available resources from the org. The organization also focus to teach and bring awareness about the language, culture and arts about Bhutan to those children who are born in US or who are young while they enter US and to support such programs the y have organized this fundraising dinner program.
Program coordinator Uttam Gurung expressed his sincere thanks to his team members Binod Gurung, sushan Rai and all the members of the band, all the members of BACC for giving them this opportunity to host the program and all the participants, well wishers and other community members. According to him the band formed by newly resettled Bhutanese cultural Group with talented artists. If we are given opportunity and platform like this we will definitely give good musical and cultural entertainment to the community.
More than 15 artists performed variety of programs including Nepali Dances, songs, Hindi dances and many more. The program was co hosted by Annie Subedi and Sushman Gurung. The program was followed by a welcome speech and the performers were Jyoti, Hema Sangita, Rajesh Gurung,Khem Basnet, jyoti Gurung, Uttam Gurung,Roji Subba,Sushan Rai, Dhana Cheetri,kritika Koirala, Rajesh Gurung, and various other local artists.
Kathmandu movie co producer and atist Mr. Nabin Ben Adhikari also announced world premiere show of their movie Kathamandu on the occasion and welcomed all the participants to attend the grand show in Scottish Rite Center in Oakland California. Mr. Adhikari generously donated two VIP tickets of the premiere show.
On the occasion two-personnel from the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 were also present, as they participated to launch their awareness for the 2010 Census program, which is held every 10 years in America.
The program was followed by DJ dances, Teej Dances Raffle tickets and various fun activities. Mr. B.B Thapa chairman of the community center thanked all the guests, organizations and local band and artists to make this program a grand success and promised to work for the betterment of the community by providing various services and activities and urged all to unite and work collectively to support our newly resettled Bhutanese community in this part of the world where life is not easy but if we unite and work helping each other we will definitely achieve success in this land of opportunity.
The program was sharply concluded at eleven but the DJ dancers were still dancing on the floor and seem every one enjoying the festive mood.
