the thaakat insider| volume 1, issue 2

8/3/2019 The Thaakat Insider| Volume 1, Issue 2

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experience to provide relief

to these people who have

truly lost everything. Seeing

them walk away with smiles

on their faces was priceless.

Thank you to all who do-

nated to Thaakats flood

relief efforts.

(Originally published by Thaakat

Foundation on 11/22/11. See the

full article here.)

Thaakats global volunteers in

Pakistan coordinated a relief

mission to the Badin region of

Sindh (located about 100 miles

east of Karachi), earlier this

month. Hundreds of families

were given food packages

and bottled mineral water

in the flood ravaged vil-

lages of Badin.

There was a large Hindu

population in this area

who received help and our

mighty volunteers recalled

it being an incredible

Thaakat Continues to Help Flood Victims in Pakistan

2nd Annual Hoops for Hunger Basketball Tournament


Foundation on 11/20/11. See the

full article here.)

Thaakats 2nd An-

nual Basketball

Tournament this

weekend was a greatsuccess! It could not

have been possible

without the support

of some gener-

ous sponsors, in-

credible volunteers,

and dedicated

teams and fans!

The two day event, which took

place at the Oak Brook Park

District in Oak Brook, IL,

brought together 16 teams

competing to win all while

playing for a good cause.

Several spectators came to

watch the event and a few

lucky ones walked away

with some pretty sweet raf-

fle prizes! A bags tourna-

ment and free throw contestfor the girls and boys also

brought on a few more lucky

winners who also walked

away with very cool prizes.

Featured in this

issue:

1

1

2

2

3

4

4

4

Check out these

websites:

[The Thaakat Insider]Much To Be Thankful For

But perhaps the most exciting

aspect of the event was when

our very own Secretary of State

Mr. Jesse White strolled in

with his Tumblers for

an eye-catching per-

formance of the most

thrilling acrobaticsweve ever seen!

The Jesse White

Tumblers put on

one spectacular show

during half-time of

final game day, leav-

ing all of us pretty

amazed.

Congratulations to TeamRuckus on a staggering win

this weekend and to the DFL

Boyzwho came in a very

close 2nd place!
http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/thaakat-relief-continues-to-help-flood-victims-in-pakistan/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/thaakat-relief-continues-to-help-flood-victims-in-pakistan/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/2nd-annual-hoops-for-hunger-basketball-tournament-success/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/2nd-annual-hoops-for-hunger-basketball-tournament-success/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/2nd-annual-hoops-for-hunger-basketball-tournament-success/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/thaakat-relief-continues-to-help-flood-victims-in-pakistan/


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partnership with PSA.

Thaakat Florida: HeldSlammin to End Famine for

fundraising.

Thaakat Rutgers NewBrunswick: Held a ThaakatMixer to benefit our 11/11/11campaign.

Thaakat Rutgers Newark: Up-coming Event - Thaakat So-cial Dinner on 12/6/11.

Thaakat Baruch: Fundraised

Thaakat Atlanta: Fundraisedfor the 11/11/11 campaign.

Thaakat UIC: Held a bake sale

on 11/19/11.

Thaakat Loyola: Participated inHoops for Hunger on11/19/11.

Thaakat Houston: Held a Fund-raising Social with Football &Wings.

Illini Thaakat: HeldPaintballing for UNITY in

for the 11/11/11 campaign.

Thaakat TCNJ: Founded inNovember 2011. Congratula-

tions to The College of NewJersey members!

Northwestern University Tha-akat: Founded in November2011. Congratulations to theNorthwestern University mem-bers!

Thaakat Bradley: Recentlyheld Buy a Date to Educatefundraiser.

Thaakat Past & Present - A Timeline View

Thaakat Chapters Around the Nation: Whats New

Page 2Much To Be Thankful For

As poverty continued

to engulf regions of

Pakistan and India,

Thaakat launched asa Facebook group

with hopes that it

could help alleviate

the circumstances of

those suffering

around the world.

On a calm summer

evening, six youngsters

(many of which were

strangers to one

another) came together

for a meeting of minds.

The goal was to make

charity a social act. They

wanted to create a

social network for good

that crossed boundaries

and showed youth howeasy it was to give back

to our communities.

Thaakat

was

recognized as a 501c3

Non Profita giant

leap!

Fall 2006

2007

Oct 08

In our first operating year, we

arranged for almost 15 local

volunteer service projects at variousnursing homes and Hamdard

Center in Chicago, celebrating the

simple joys in life through laughter

and conversation.

...recognized by the

Illinois Secretary of

State Jesse White, City

of Chicago, and the

Aga Khan Foundation,

with awards for

Outstanding

Community Service

09 - 10

2010

Massive floods hit

Pakistan. Thanks to

your support, we raised

nearly$20,000 and

organized our own

relief efforts in the

damaged areas of

Punjab and Sindh,

providing care to

thousands.

2011 - Present Day

What started as a board

of six members has

grown to 14 universitychapters nationwide, all

working together in our

mission for poverty

alleviation and social

awareness. We hope to

expand our reach in

coming years.

Thank you all for your

everlasting support. We work

with every ounce of heart we

have to ensure your charity

dollars help those who need it

most.

To view information on our

current and past global

projects please visitwww.

thaakat.wordpress.com/
http://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://ruthaakat.wordpress.com/http://ruthaakat.wordpress.com/http://ruthaakat.wordpress.com/http://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://atlthaakat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/the-miracle-of-plumpynut%C2%AE/http://atlthaakat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/the-miracle-of-plumpynut%C2%AE/http://uic.collegiatelink.net/organization/thaakathttp://uic.collegiatelink.net/organization/thaakathttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttps://www.facebook.com/thaakatUHhttps://www.facebook.com/thaakatUHhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/162572123791874/https://www.facebook.com/groups/162572123791874/http://www.facebook.com/groups/276595909033566/http://www.facebook.com/groups/276595909033566/http://www.facebook.com/pages/NU-Thaakat/169861636439674http://www.facebook.com/pages/NU-Thaakat/169861636439674http://www.facebook.com/pages/NU-Thaakat/169861636439674http://www.thaakat.wordpress.com/http://www.thaakat.wordpress.com/http://www.thaakat.wordpress.com/http://www.thaakat.wordpress.com/http://www.thaakat.wordpress.com/http://www.facebook.com/pages/NU-Thaakat/169861636439674http://www.facebook.com/pages/NU-Thaakat/169861636439674http://www.facebook.com/groups/276595909033566/https://www.facebook.com/groups/162572123791874/https://www.facebook.com/thaakatUHhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://uic.collegiatelink.net/organization/thaakathttp://atlthaakat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/the-miracle-of-plumpynut%C2%AE/http://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folderhttp://ruthaakat.wordpress.com/http://ruthaakat.wordpress.com/http://c/Users/Chinnu/Documents/Bluetooth%20Exchange%20Folder


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Earlier in the week I had the

opportunity to interview the

Thaakat Atlanta Chapter

President and Founding

Member, Ayesha Lodhia.

Q: How did you hear of Tha-

akat and what inspired you

to start your own chapter?

A: I heard about Thaakat

through Facebook and Word-

press. Thaakat was growing

fast and the differences it was

making really inspired me. My

cousin, Uzma Ali Bawany be-

came my role model and I

really wanted to walk in herfootsteps. I wanted to do

something in life where I

could help people in need. I

realized that all the little

things we do together can cre-

ate big differences in peoples

lives across the world. All the

pictures on Thaakats pagereally inspired me, all the pro-

jects they were working on

were fascinating! It changed

my heart and I started myown chapter in Atlanta to be a

part of the Thaakat team and

have fun while helping out a

good cause! Definitely, the

best decision of my life!

Q: What was one of the first

events you held and how did

you market it?

A: Our first big event was

Thaakat Delight, to raise

money for Plumynut pro-

ject. We were aiming to

give a taste of Indo-Pak

food to the students at

school. However, we had

more than just food; we

had a henna artist and In-

dian music. We decorated

the whole room with color-

ful scarves and gave the

event an Indian theme. To

market this event we put

up posters around campus,

we verbally invited people,

and we also made a Face-book event. It was very suc-

cessful and all the students

enjoyed our event!

Q: What are some of the

projects you've been work-

ing on this year and how

much have you raised?A: Our kick-off event was a

fundraiser at Pinkberry,

this was our first exposure

of Thaakat to our friends atschool. On Halloween, we

went trick-or-treating for

change around campus. We

passed out candy and many

professors and students

donated their change to us

for Plumpynut. So far Tha-

akat Atlanta has raised

nearly $6,000 since sum-

mer 2011!! We are very

thankful to all the support-

ers we have in Atlanta andthe encouragement we get

from all the other Thaakat

chapters!

Q: Do you have any ad-

vice for other Thaakat

chapters - whether they

are just starting up or

have been around the

block?

A: My advice to other Tha-

akat chapters is to have fun

with everything you do for

Thaakat because at the end

of the day, the effort you

put into your work helped

someone across the world.

Teamwork is key because as

a team we create strength,

working together helps

solve problems we run into.

Put your heart into every-

thing you do and never give

up! There will be obstacles

every chapter may encoun-

ter but remember we have

such great members youcan go to for advice. So

dont worry! Thaakat Foun-

dation contains the most

wonderful people I have

ever met in my life! Starting

a Thaakat chapter is so

worth it!

Q: What has been yourmost memorable Thaakat

memory?

A: My most memora-ble Thaakat memory is

when we had a Tha-

akat booth at the stu-

dent activities fair oncampus. At our booth

we were able to spark

interest about Thaakat

and see the excitementstudents had towards

our new venture. We

got many compliments from

the student organization on

our well-organized booth

and the colorful

The support from

our fellow peers

was unimaginable

and it helped en-

courage our team

to accomplish our

goals for the se-

mester.

Q&A With Thaakat Atlanta Chapter President

Page 3Volume 1: Issue 2

It really changes

your life and gets

you to think outside

of the little world

you live in. Thaakat

provides peace,

love, and happiness

throughout their

organization,

guaranteed!
mailto:%[email protected]:%[email protected]:%[email protected]://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/how-cheeky-are-you-amit-gupta-needs-you/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/how-cheeky-are-you-amit-gupta-needs-you/mailto:%[email protected]


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A Hearty THANK YOU to our Basketball Tournament Sponsors!

society and the Indian/Pakistani/

Mediterranean cultures; find great

deals on ethnic dining, getaways,

events, spa services, and more for

up to 90% off!

Benedictine Rotaract:A local

branch of Rotary International, led

by young adults between the ages of

18-30. Rotaract provides service

locally, nationally and also interna-

tionally. BU Rotaract provided 30+

wonderful volunteers for our event.

Elmhurst College Spiritual

Life Council: Elmhurst College

SLC is a forum for those interested

in interfaith cooperation- this in-cludes members of Spiritual Life

Council and any other students,

faculty, and staff of any faith, no

faith, or philosophical tradition.

Elmhurst College SLC sponsored

some AMAZING raffle prizes for

the tournament.

Inferno Hookah Lounge:

Sprawled across 3,000 square feet

in the heart of Schaumburg, this

plush hookah lounge blends ethnicEastern decor with an urban West

atmosphere. Infernos walls are

lined with exquisite items from


Foundation on 11/15/11. See the full

article here.)

We would like to thank our sponsors

for taking the time to believe in our

efforts and help make a difference!

Here are a few of our leading spon-

sors for Hoops for Hunger.

The Jesse White Tumblers: Per-

formed on Final Game Day on No-

vember 20th. Passionate, energetic,and hardworking, you wont see

more magic flips and thrilling acro-

batic performances anywhere else!

Brownhub: Proudly sponsored the

Grand Prize of a 3-day 2-night stay at

a 3 or 4 star hotel for each player onthe winning team of our tournament!

Giving customers the ability to

bridge the gap between the American

across the world. Bright violet cur-

tains and red furniture ensure that

not a moment spent here is dull or

colorless.

Chill n Grill:A newly opened deli-cious zabiha Halal American restau-

rant (serving cheeseburgers, steak,

gyros, and much more). Chill n Grill

will be delivering orders to our tour-

nament. All profits from the tourna-

ment were donated to our Plum-

pynut campaign!

Lisle Club of Rotary:A group of

29 inspiring individuals strive to up-

hold the Rotary motto, Service

Above Self and provide service lo-cally, nationally, and internationally.

A few of their projects include host-

ing foreign exchange students and

benefiting the Midwest Shelter for

Homeless Veterans with their Annual

Red, Blue, and White Ball.

Pita Inn: Great, healthy food and

excellent service at unbeatable

prices! Pita Inn takes care in select-

ing only the finest quality ingredi-

ents. They delivered 80+ sandwichesto our tournament! Visit their loca-

tions in Wheeling, Skokie and Glen-

view, IL.

Shout-out to

Generation GingerCheck out Thaakats feature on

'5 Indian Inspired Ideas for

Your Thanksgiving'.

Generation ginger provides a fresh

perspective to the evolution of In-

dian culture in America by provid-

ing contemporary resources,

events and

education to

enhance your

cultural

journey.

Edesias 11/11/11 Campaign Update

Edesia posted on their

status: Thaakat Founda-

tion raised nearly $8K

for the 11.11.11 Project

and took Edesia to 99%of their fundraising goal

of $111,111.

On behalf of the thou-

sands of children who

will be nourished by hav-

ing Plumpy'nut in their

hands, we thank you!

A HUGE thank you to all

of those who have sup-

ported the

efforts these last

few months. Thank

you for proving

that all it takes is alittle bit of heart

and a little bit of

change.

Congratulations on

all teams for a

wonderful job on spread-

ing awareness in the fight

against famine!
http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/may-we-present-our-pocketful-of-sunshine-sponsors/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/may-we-present-our-pocketful-of-sunshine-sponsors/http://www.jessewhitetumblingteam.com/http://www.generationginger.com/5-indian-inspired-ideas-for-your-thanksgiving-holiday.phphttp://www.generationginger.com/5-indian-inspired-ideas-for-your-thanksgiving-holiday.phphttp://www.generationginger.com/5-indian-inspired-ideas-for-your-thanksgiving-holiday.phphttp://www.generationginger.com/5-indian-inspired-ideas-for-your-thanksgiving-holiday.phphttp://www.jessewhitetumblingteam.com/http://thaakat.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/may-we-present-our-pocketful-of-sunshine-sponsors/