Our Bureau
Chicago, IL
FIA proudly hosted a remarkable 8th consecutive Indian Heritage Night in collaboration with the Windy City Bulls at NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates, on February 27, 2025. The evening was further electrified as the Chicago Bulls secured a thrilling 102-100 victory over the Birmingham Squadron.
It was a spectacular 8th consecutive Heritage Night, organized with the full dedication of FIA Leaders and the team. FIA Chairman, a versatile leader, Mr. Sunil Shah, and the dedicated new President, Ms. Anu Malhotra, and the team orchestrated another incredible celebration after the recent resounding success of their Indian Republic Day celebration on Jan 25th. All the dance performances were melodious and truly captivating! FIA President Ms. Anu Malhotra and Executive Vice President Ms. Richa Chand carefully selected all participating dance academies after a thorough evaluation.
The following dance academies and their choreographers participated in the event: BollyBhangraUSA Dance School (Choreographed by Prerna Arya), Shirlzar Dance Company (Choreographed by Elizar & Shirley Rodrigues), Chicago Dance Varsity (Choreographed by Puja Joshi), Atharv Gurukul (Choreographed by Aparna Deshmukh).
The Indian Heritage Night event was hosted by FIA Chairman Mr. Sunil Shah, President Ms. Anu Malhotra, and graced by past Presidents Ms. Vinita Gulabani, Ms. Pratibha Jairath, Mr. Hitesh Gandhi. A dedicated FIA team, live basketball players, and an enthusiastic crowd gathered to witness the Windy City Bulls game. The event was further honored by the esteemed presence of Dr. Dilip Shah, President of the Indian American Medical Association, and Mr. Vinoz Chanamolu, FIA Advisory Board Member.
The event commenced with children performing the national anthems of India as well as the United States. FIA Leaders and team, Windy City Bulls and Birmingham Squadron players, along with the audience, stood with respect. A sense of significant honor filled the stadium as the children sang the National anthem, followed by a patriotic dance.
Chairman Mr. Sunil Shah, President Ms. Anu Malhotra, and Team FIA were honored with a Certificate of Appreciation for celebrating eight successful years of Indian Heritage Night with Windy City Bulls. Windy City Bulls Account Executive Andrew Stasinopoulos extended a special gratitude to FIA Chairman Mr. Shah for bringing his entire team to celebrate the Indian culture with them. Mr. Shah also felt very pride in this and our rich heritage.
Mr. Shah expressed gratitude for the tremendous honor on behalf of FIA and his team to Windy City Bulls President – Mr. Brad Seymour. ‘It was a tremendous honor for the Federation of Indian Associations,’ said Mr. Shah. President Ms. Anu Malhotra graciously recognized all the cultural program participants and extended heartfelt appreciation to their families as well for their support of the event. She gave a remarkable speech at the dinner party after the event, which was hosted by FIA Director and Owner of India Foodie Lounge, Mr. Yagnesh Patel.
President Ms. Anu recognized his generous hospitality in hosting the FIA team dinner and thanked each member along with our Chairman, Mr. Sunil Shah. She specifically applauded FIA Secretarial team; Nilabh Dubey, Kamlesh Kapoor, Falguni Sukhadia for doing outstanding work to support this event. Everyone enjoyed the delicious Dinner and some light music.
Mr. Shah thanked everyone who contributed to the event’s success. Special thanks were given to Secretary General Mr. Nilabh Dubey for capturing the event photographs, Mr. VK Gupta for managing ticket distribution flawlessly, Executive Vice President Richa Chand for coordinating cultural activities, and Joint Secretaries Kamlesh Kapoor and Falguni Sukhadia for documenting the event. This is a clear example that success is a dish best served with teamwork.
Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) Chicago, 501(c)(3) IL is A non-profit organization connecting over 300,000 Indian Americans in the Chicago area through cultural events, community advocacy, and charitable work, including scholarships to needy students within the Indian community. For the past 15 years, FIA has been actively bridging the Asian Indian American communities in the Midwest as one of its sole missions.
