Our Bureau
Hillsborough, NJ
AARC- Asian American Republican Coalition jointly with HMC- Hillsborough Maharaja Club, [Vivek Rao, Founder and CEO] proudly organized a vibrant 4th of July Gathering to celebrate 249th Independence Day of the United States. The event was marked by patriotic spirit, as strong sense of togetherness, with the presence of Chief Guest Hon. Mayor John Ciccarelli and Guest of Honor Dy. Mayor Catherine Payne of Hillsborough Township alongside several distinguished community leaders, businessmen, members, and volunteers.
The event displayed unity, patriotism, shared values and enjoyment of freedom. The celebration featured America’s National Anthem sung by Chip Kolbjornsen, inspiring speeches, flag salutes, and cultural camaraderie that reflected the deep connection Asian Americans feel toward America’s founding principles.
Hemant Bhatt, AARC’s Founder & Chairman, welcomed the gathering, appreciated the overwhelming community support and emphasized the importance of civic engagement and participation in democratic values. “This gathering is not just a celebration of our nation’s independence,” Mr. Bhatt said. “It’s a reflection of how Asian American communities are committed to contributing meaningfully to the fabric of this great country.” He added “we all live comfortable lives here. We owe a great deal to our great nation America and we need to payback whatever we can by showing our patriotism and love for America”.
Vivek Rao who beautifully Emceed this event as Master Of Ceremony, introduced the guests and dignitaries and invited them to speak to the gathering to celebrate our Independence day.
Sanjiv Pandya, a founding member of AARC and media personality narrated the history of American Independence, explained how America got the freedom and vision of our founders to make America one of the world’s best place to live.
While introducing Ankur Vaidya, Chairman, Federation of Indian Associations [FIA], Vivek Rao informed to the audience that FIA takes out world’s largest India Day parade outside India in New York every year to celebrate India’s Independence. Ankur Vaidya who represents Non-Political organization FIA wished happy Independence Day to all and stated that this freedom is very valuable and we all must strive to respect and preserve it to our fullest capacity.
Mayor John wished happy Independence Day and thanked the organizers for putting up such a wonderful and memorable event. He mentioned that Hillsborough Township is growing with Asian Americans communities including Indian Americans who contributes to the growth of its economy and sharing the cultural values to the township. Dy. Mayor Catherine outlined how the cultural diversity is benefited the communities and highlighted the importance of freedom which we all enjoy today in America.
Chandra Mohan, CEO of worldwide highly watched popular TV9 channel, spoke at the event and encouraged all to cherish our freedom. Rishi Prabhakar, Director of AXRIA realty wished happy Independence Day and narrated how AXRIA help local communities for their real estate needs.
Mr. Chris Venis, President, Hillsborough Republican Club and Mr. John Vrtaric, Chairman, Woodbridge Township Republican Organization graced this glittering occasion.
AARC and HMC expressed their deep sense of gratitude to Srikanth Garu, Chandra Mohan Garu, Aashis and Adi of TV9 Media group and AXRIA for their wholehearted support, providing the venue and delicious lunch without which this event could not have been a grand success. Organizers also sincerely thanked Ashish Raval, Manisha Bhatt, Dilip Bhatt, Kaushal Thakkar, Shrenik Talati, Jasubhai Brahmbhatt and all volunteers for their hard work to make event successful. Last but not the list, organizers thanked all attendees, volunteers, and supporters who attended the event by taking out time from their busy schedules of long weekend to attend the event on a sunny summer day and shared the happiness of Independence Day.
