Vaishnavs Hold ‘Toys For Tots’ Event In Chicago

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The Vaishnav Samaj of Midwest (VSM) and Vallabh Youth Organization – Education (VYOE), a global nonprofit, sponsored their first Toys for Tots event at Shreejidwar Haveli, in Addison, Illinois. Among the chief guests was Illinois Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, who greeted everyone with a ‘Namaste” and thanked organizers for educating her about the Vaishnav faith.

The event was well-attended and the community organizations collected 150 toys for the donation.

Apart from Sanguinetti, other special guests included Tim Schneider, chair of the Illinois State GOP, John Dabrowski, Bloomingdale Township assessor, Nimish Jani, Schaumburg Township trustee, State Senate candidate Seth Lewis, and Dr. Bhavna Sharma-Lewis, District 76 superintendent, according to a press release from Asian Media USA.

Dr. Umang Patel of the Vaishnav Samaj, a cardiologist by profession, welcomed all the energetic students attending VYOE Sunday school, volunteers, board of trustees and invited dignitaries. The VYOE has more than 120 students in Sunday school even though it has been in operation for just two years, he noted.

Jani thanked those present for making it to the event on a cold Sunday and introduced the honorary guests, noting that Sanguinetti had also arrived in the U.S. as “poor child of Cuban refugee parents,” and climbed the ladder of success with her “determination, hard work, charming personality.” Shneider began his address with the greeting “Jayshrikrishna” and spoke to the students about attaining ‘Nirvana” in one’s life by giving rather than receiving gifts, as they were doing that day at the event.

Dabrowski praised the accomplishments of the sponsoring organizers and wished them success.

Shreejidwar Haveli, where the event was held, is a non-profit religious organization established to meet the religious and cultural needs of the Hindu community since 2005 and is one of the cornerstone Havelis of the Midwest region, according to the press release.