Note from president
As we reflect on our recent Garbha-Dandiya night, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for making it such a vibrant celebration. The event was a true testament to our community spirit, filled with colors, joy, and incredible energy. I was thrilled to share the excitement with all of you, and I must say, our enthusiasm even cracked the Dandiya sticks into four pieces—an unforgettable moment! A special thank you to our youth volunteers and children whose tireless efforts made the night a success. Your contributions are invaluable! I also want to recognize the selfless volunteers who helped set up the venue and those who participated in the flash mob dance. Your dedication helps us create such memorable experiences. Looking ahead, we are gearing up for Diwali night on November 16th! Flyer and ticket sales information are enclosed in the newsletter. I encourage you to buy your tickets early, as space is limited, and we’re planning an amazing event. Remember, members will benefit from lower ticket prices for all future events, and we’re also contemplating a members-only free event early next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to join our community, and you can even include extended family members, so feel free to invite your visiting parents! We are constantly thinking of ways to engage our community and provide them the best experiences. As always, I remain reachable anytime for questions related to ICON. Please feel free to email me. As the fall colors are beginning to surround us, I hope you’re enjoying the beauty of the season. I look forward to celebrating Diwali with all of you! Warm regards & Stay blessed, Raja Shaikh President, Indian Community of Needham (ICON) raja.shaikh@iconeedham.org
Featured article from the MembershipDesk
Hope you are enjoying the crisp fall weather and Navratri season. I would like to thank all community members for being part of ICON. As valued members, your annual membership helps plan key initiatives such as financial workshops, cultural education programs, India day and various cultural festivals. Your annual family membership covers you, spouse/partner and children. In an effort to extend membership benefits, we have introduced the extended family membership plan this Fall. This allows you to purchase individual annual plans for extended family including parents, in-laws, etc at $25/person. Why become a member? ICON is a community-funded, non-profit institution meant to be supported by its members. Your membership dues help us defray the operational costs of running ICON, from organizing events to covering our organizational expenses. Get early access to signups and ticket sales for all ICON events, as well as discounts on tickets for paid events. Become eligible to serve on the ICON board and board committees. Participate in an annual members’ only appreciation event. Most importantly: celebrate our history and heritage while helping to build awareness, and also giving back to our town! If you aren’t a member yet, we strongly encourage you to consider being part of this awesome community where our spirits are high and a strong sense of community prevails. To learn how to become a member, click the link below: BECOME A MEMBER You can select the type of plan in the Membership Plan drop down menu. I would also request everyone to kindly check your membership status and renew if it has expired. Membership is valid for 12 months from your initial membership registration date. If your renewal in consecutive years occurs after the 12 month period ends, the system will renew your membership for the same 12mo period as your original period. For instance, if your plan is from Jan1 - Dec 31, 2023 and your 2nd year renewal was on Mar 10, 2024 your membership duration will be Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2024 and not rolling 12 months. To make it easy to use, you can also select auto renewal. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at membership@iconeedham.org. Thank you Prathyusha Gunda Membership Chair
Save The Date! Diwali Night onNovember 16
Continuing the festivities, ICON cordially invites you with family and friends to celebrate Diwai night.
Join us for a joyous evening of lights, laughter and love as we celebrate Diwali. As part of the event, you can enjoy kids and adults dance performances and DJ for the dance floor. Food (veg and non-veg) options included with the ticket price. Please purchase your tickets now - limited seats available!
Purchase Tickets Here Please know that tickets are limited this time, and we want you to secure them before they are all gone! For now, Members Only tickets are being opened. Non- Members section opens on October 27. If you aren’t already, please do consider becoming ICON’s Proud Members now, supporting these great community efforts as well as availing a bumper member’s discount! Member priced tickets are only for member's immediate family i.e., upto two adults over 25 years, and children in the family who are under 25 years). For extended family, kindly purchase extended family membership or non-member tickets. Members buying any tickets beyond these provisions would need to pay the cost difference between Member-priced and Non-Member-priced tickets. Enter your text here… Enter your text here… Recap: Dandiya / Bollywood Night 2024 A BIG THANK YOU to you all who could grace the completely Sold-Out Dandiya event last night. Super fun and joyful evening we all could create together for everyone! Thank you also to many volunteers as well as our Youth Volunteers helping with decorations and reception table. Below are links to some of the photos and videos from the event Photos Link Videos Link Recap: ICON Cooking Club Family Day ICON Cook club had a lovely afternoon picnic on a beautiful September Sunday. Please CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TO JOIN the ICON Cooking Club if you love to try and learn new recipies to would like to join the group. Join ICON Social Clubs! ICON Cooking Club Show off your culinary skills while also learning from the best chefs in our town. The ICON Cooking Club meets monthly to share the best recipes passed down over generations from all parts of the country. CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TO JOIN ICON Book Club The ICON Book club started last year and is going strong! Join us to discuss the book of the month and lots of chit-chats over tea and snacks very month! CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TO JOIN We thank our sponsors for their continued support! ICON silver-level sponsor: Leena Agnihotri leena.agnihotri@compass.com M: 617-331-2647
