New Madhurya Bhavan Teacher

After an extensive selection process, I am happy to announce that the new lead teacher in the Madhurya Bhavan class will be Shantipur Day.

Shantipur is a New Raman Reti School alumni who went on to earn her degree from the University of Florida and her Bhakti-Sastri certificate from Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium.  The hiring committee was impressed by her intelligence, character, spirituality, and extremely strong desire to impart the many lessons she received as a student in a Krishna conscious school to the next generation. Our impressions were echoed by the others we consulted while checking her references.  In many ways, Shantipur exemplifies the qualities we strive to develop within our own students and feel that she will be a very positive influence and role model. I am grateful that Krishna has inspired her to serve in this capacity.

Please join me in welcoming Shantipur to Bhaktivedanta Academy!

Fundraising Dinner Success

Thank you to everyone who came out in support of Bhaktivedanta Academy by attending our recent fundraising dinner. I have received so many positive comments about the decorations, meal, and entertainment from those that attended. It certainly appears that we achieved our aim of providing a wonderful experience for all.

As we discussed that night, so much has been done to bring Krishna and Balaram to New Raman Reti, but it is necessary to start making investments today to ensure that there will be a corp of devotees eager and qualified to care for Them well into the future. Due to the enthusiastic response to our appeal, we raised $17,611 toward the Bhaktivedanta Academy Scholarship Fund! I am truly grateful for the outpouring of goodwill demonstrated by our guests. The financial contributions made confirm that Bhaktivedanta Academy has an important role to play in the care and growth of Krishna and Balarama's young devotees.

This outcome would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of so many people who came together for the benefit of the school. I want to especially thank some special individuals, who made significant contributions to the success of the event:

Advaita Acharya & Sarad Bihari Singh - Advaita Acharya & Sarad Bihari's endorsement of Bhaktivedanta Academy and major financial contribution set the tone for our fundraising appeal and enthused many others to follow their lead.

Adi-Gopi Kohair - Adi-Gopi made all the arrangements for the great group of entertainers who performed at the dinner and was always willing and able to jump in and take care of all the little things necessary to execute a big event.

Jahnava Hausner - With her sophistication and persuasiveness, Jahnava took on the meal planning and enlisted some of the best cooks and bakers in our community to produce an absolutely amazing feast.

Padmakshi Sutherland - Padi recruited and managed an army of servers that skillfully waited on 150 guests. I can think of no one else who could have pulled this off so gracefully.

Pattrajni Pugliese - I knew that when Pattrajni agreed to head up decorations that the Alachua Women's Club was going to look great, but she completely outdid herself by transforming it into a place of beauty.

Mahakirti Kopecky - Mahakirti's easy-going nature and technical skill ensured that all the sound, light, and video worked perfectly.

Radhika Rani Fitch - Radhika's persistence and kind nature on the phone following-up with our guests ensured that we had a packed house and her attention to detail guaranteed that nothing fell through the cracks.

Sabrina Dobbins - Sabrina personally contributed to print beautiful invitations and oversaw the guest reception.

I also want to thank Jaya Govardhana and Lalita-Sakhi for sponsoring child care; Param, Yadu, Bhagavan, and Ananga-Manjari for setting-up and breaking down. I also want to offer a special thanks to my wonderful wife, Vrindavanesvari, and our children for supporting me as I spent many hours away from them to prepare for the event.

It is truly inspiring to be part of the Bhaktivedanta Academy community of parents and supporters. If we keep working together in this way, there is no limit to what we can accomplish!

Thank you all for your continued encouragement and support.

Fundraising Dinner Reservations

The Bhaktivedanta Academy fundraising dinner is coming up this Friday, April 23rd. There are still some seats left for the event but we will have to close reservations on Tuesday morning.

I also wanted to make you all aware that through the generosity of Jaya Govardhana and Lalita-Sakhi, we will now be providing child care on the night of the event for all enrolled students and their school-age siblings from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Child care is only for event attendees and must be reserved in advance by contacting the school office.

In case you missed it before, here are the details of the event:

The fundraising event committee has been working hard to ensure a memorable evening for everyone who attends. We have a wonderful menu planned, beginning with an opulent seven-course traditional Indian dinner. The dessert bar, stocked with an assortment of delicious cookies, cakes, and fresh berry treats, will be prepared by Amaradha, whose confections are famous in Alachua and beyond.

The evening will be highlighted by the transcendental music of Bada Haridas, who will be accompanied by cellist Jai Sita. The grand finale will be a performance by Yadunath, the well-know professional comedian, whose humorous take on devotional life is sure to send everyone home smiling.

The dinner will be held on Friday, April 23rd at the Alachua Women's Club, 14656 South Main Street, Alachua, FL. Reception/check-in is at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

If you have not already reserved your seats for the event, please do so now. Admission is $30 per person or $50 per couple for those who have not already received special donor invitations. Reservations will close on Tuesday morning, so reserve online at http://bana.eventbrite.com or call 386-462-2886 to confirm your attendance.

Please show your support for the school by attending. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fundraising Dinner

As some of you already know, Bhaktivedanta Academy will be hosting a fundraising dinner on Friday, April 23rd. This is an important yearly event that gives us an opportunity to reciprocate the goodwill many of you have shown and to showcase the important work going on for the benefit of Srila Prabhupada's young children and the future of his society.

The fundraising event committee has been working hard to ensure a memorable evening for everyone who attends. We have a wonderful menu planned, beginning with an opulent seven-course traditional Indian dinner. The dessert bar, stocked with an assortment of delicious cookies, cakes, and fresh berry treats, will be prepared by Amaradha, whose confections are famous in Alachua and beyond.

The evening will be highlighted by the transcendental music of Bada Haridas, who will be accompanied by cellist Jai Sita. The grand finale will be a performance by Yadunath, the well-know professional comedian, whose humorous take on devotional life is sure to send everyone home smiling.

The dinner will be held on Friday, April 23rd at the Alachua Women's Club, 14656 South Main Street, Alachua, FL. Reception/check-in is at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

If you have not already reserved your seats for the event, please do so now. Admission is $30 per person or $50 per couple for those who have not already received special invitations. Seating is limited, so call 386-462-2886 to confirm your attendance.

We guarantee an evening filled with delicious prasadam, melodious song, and uplifting entertainment. We certainly hope you will honor us by attending.