[The Thaakat Insider] Much To Be Thankful For

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2nd Annual Hoops for Hunger Basketball Tournament

(Originally published by Thaakat

Several spectators came to lucky ones walked away with some pretty sweet raf-

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 performance of the most thrilling acrobatics weve ever seen! The Jesse White Tumblers put on one spectacular show during half-time of final game day, leaving all of us pretty amazed.

Foundation on 11/20/11. See the watch the event and a few full article here.)

Thaakats 2nd Annual Basketball Tournament this weekend was a great success! It could not have been possible without the support of some generous sponsors, in1

Featured in this issue:

credible volunteers, and dedicated teams and fans!

fle prizes! A bags tournaThe two day event, which took ment and free throw contest Congratulations to Team Ruckus on a staggering win Boyz who came in a very close 2nd place! 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. for the girls and boys also winners who also walked away with very cool prizes.

brought on a few more lucky this weekend and to the DFL

Thaakat Continues to Help Flood Victims in Pakistan

(Originally published by Thaakat Foundation on 11/22/11. See the

were given food packages and bottled mineral water in the flood ravaged villages of Badin. There was a large Hindu population in this area who received help and our mighty volunteers recalled it being an incredible

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 donated to Thaakats flood relief efforts.

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

Much To Be Thankful For

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Thaakat Past & Present - A Timeline View

As poverty continued to engulf regions of Pakistan and India, Thaakat launched as a Facebook group with hopes that it could help alleviate the circumstances of those suffering around the world. In our first operating year, we arranged for almost 15 local volunteer service projects at various nursing homes and Hamdard Center in Chicago, celebrating the simple joys in life through laughter and conversation. What started as a board of six members has grown to 14 university chapters nationwide, all working together in our mission for poverty alleviation and social awareness. We hope to expand our reach in coming years.

Thaakat was recognized as a 501c3 Non Profita giant leap!

2007 Fall 2006

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 how easy it was to give back to our communities.

2010 Oct 08 09 - 10
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

...recognized by the Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, City of Chicago, and the Aga Khan Foundation, with awards for Outstanding Community Service

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 visit www. thaakat.wordpress.com/

Thaakat Chapters Around the Nation: Whats New

Thaakat Atlanta: Fundraised for the 11/11/11 campaign. Thaakat UIC: Held a bake sale on 11/19/11. partnership with PSA. Thaakat Florida: Held Slammin to End Famine for fundraising. for the 11/11/11 campaign. Thaakat TCNJ : Founded in November 2011. Congratulations to The College of New Jersey members! Northwestern University Thaakat : Founded in November 2011. Congratulations to the Northwestern University members! Thaakat Bradley : Recently held Buy a Date to Educate fundraiser.

Thaakat Loyola: Participated in Thaakat Rutgers New Hoops for Hunger on Brunswick: Held a Thaakat 11/19/11. Mixer to benefit our 11/11/11 campaign. Thaakat Houston: Held a Fundraising Social with Football & Thaakat Rutgers Newark : UpWings. coming Event - Thaakat Social Dinner on 12/6/11. Illini Thaakat: Held Paintballing for UNITY in Thaakat Baruch : Fundraised

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Q&A With Thaakat Atlanta Chapter President

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 Thaakat and what inspired you to start your own chapter? A: I heard about Thaakat through Facebook and Wordpress. Thaakat was growing fast and the differences it was making really inspired me. My cousin, Uzma Ali Bawany became my role model and I really wanted to walk in her footsteps. 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 create big differences in peoples lives across the world. All the pictures on Thaakats page really inspired me, all the projects they were working on were fascinating! It changed my heart and I started my own 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! A: Our first big event was Thaakat Delight, to raise money for Plumynut project. 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 Indian music. We decorated the whole room with colorful 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 Facebook event. It was very successful and all the students enjoyed our event! Q: What are some of the projects you've been working 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 at school. 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 Thaakat Atlanta has raised nearly $6,000 since summer 2011!! We are very thankful to all the supporters we have in Atlanta and the encouragement we get from all the other Thaakat chapters! Q: Do you have any advice for other Thaakat chapters - whether they are just starting up or have been around the block? A: My advice to other Thaakat 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 everything you do and never give up! There will be obstacles every chapter may encounter but remember we have such great members you can go to for advice. So dont worry! Thaakat Foundation contains the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life! Starting a Thaakat chapter is so worth it! Q: What has been your most memorable Thaakat memory? A: My most memorable Thaakat memory is when we had a Thaakat booth at the student activities fair on campus. At our booth we were able to spark interest about Thaakat and see the excitement students 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 encourage our team to accomplish our goals for the semester.

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!

Q: What was one of the first events you held and how did you market it?

A Hearty THANK YOU to our Basketball Tournament Sponsors!

(Originally published by Thaakat Foundation on 11/15/11. See the full article here.)

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 internationally. 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 includes 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 ethnic Eastern decor with an urban West atmosphere. Infernos walls are lined with exquisite items from

across the world. Bright violet curtains and red furniture ensure that not a moment spent here is dull or colorless. Chill n Grill: A newly opened delicious zabiha Halal American restaurant (serving cheeseburgers, steak, gyros, and much more). Chill n Grill will be delivering orders to our tournament. All profits from the tournament were donated to our Plumpynut campaign! Lisle Club of Rotary: A group of 29 inspiring individuals strive to uphold the Rotary motto, Service Above Self and provide service locally, nationally, and internationally. A few of their projects include hosting 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 selecting only the finest quality ingredients. They delivered 80+ sandwiches to our tournament! Visit their locations in Wheeling, Skokie and Glenview, IL.

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 sponsors for Hoops for Hunger.

The Jesse White Tumblers: Performed on Final Game Day on November 20th. Passionate, energetic, and hardworking, you wont see more magic flips and thrilling acrobatic 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 on the winning team of our tournament! Giving customers the ability to bridge the gap between the American

Shout-out to Generation Ginger

Check out Thaakats feature on '5 Indian Inspired Ideas for Your Thanksgiving'. Generation ginger provides a fresh perspective to the evolution of Indian culture in America by providing contemporary resources, events and education to enhance your cultural journey.

Edesias 11/11/11 Campaign Update

Edesia posted on their status: Thaakat Foundation 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 thousands of children who will be nourished by having Plumpy'nut in their hands, we thank you! A HUGE thank you to all of those who have supported the efforts these last few months. Thank you for proving that all it takes is a little bit of heart and a little bit of change. Congratulations on all teams for a wonderful job on spreading awareness in the fight against famine!