Newsroom
Tuxedos meet sequins at fundraiser for India
May 7, 2007
Chicago Tribune
By Kevin McKeough
When a massive earthquake in the Indian state of Gujarat killed 50,000 people in 2001, President Bill Clinton enlisted members of the Indian community in the United States to assist in the relief effort. That initiative grew into the American Indian Foundation, which to date has raised $40 million for programs in India.
Saturday night, 425 members and supporters of Chicago's Indian community gathered at the Ritz-Carlton for the Bow Ties and Bangles gala to benefit the AIF. Tuxedos and black Nehru suits mixed with the vibrant colors and glittering sequins of traditional Indian saris and shirvanis (women's gowns and men's robes) at the $500-per-person event.
Headquartered in New York, the AIF runs programs supporting children's education, economic empowerment -- particularly for women -- and public health with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS. "We want to cause change in the system so the system can take care of its people and not depend on handouts," said AIF executive director Pradeep Kashyap.
After a cocktail reception, a traditional Indian dance troupe led the patrons to a dinner of coconut chicken breast and herb-crusted sea bass served at tables decorated with peacock feather centerpieces. The evening included speeches and award presentations, an auction and a Second City skit, followed by dancing.
The guests drank wine -- including a sparkling wine from New Mexico, a chardonnay from France and a malbec from Argentina -- chosen by sommelier Alpana Singh. "I tried to get something from India but it didn't work out," said the "Check Please" hostess, who was accompanied by her husband, playwright Charles Blackstone.
While some in the crowd had hoped for a traditional Indian meal, Gary Holdren had reason to be thankful for the typical banquet fare. The founder of Huron Consulting Group, where he's chairman and CEO, Holdren accepted invitations to eat in hosts' homes during a business trip to India last year. "Even some of my Indian friends wouldn't eat what I ate, but I thought that if people took the time, I should eat what they made, and I got sick," said Holdren, who was honored with an award at the banquet and was accompanied by his wife, Victoria.
The event also honored Robert McCann, vice-chairman and president of Merrill Lynch's global private client group, for the firm's financial support of the AIF. McCann, who flew in from New York, sported a traditional Indian pashmina (a long scarf) dyed a non-traditional green to reflect his Irish heritage. "I have a lot of blue suits and a lot of gray suits. This is now my definition of festive dress," he said.
Dipak Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, took time out from hosting more than 1,500 alumni this weekend to address the crowd. "To the world, you may be just a person," he said, "but to a person, you can be the world."
Former Chicagoan Rajat Gupta was among the people President Clinton tapped for the initial earthquake relief effort, and he returned for the gala. He's a senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey and Company. "That means I'm retired. I can do anything I want," said Gupta. Instead of golfing, he's founded a school of business and a public-health foundation in India and chairs the $10 billion Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Nitesh Jain and Akash Kumar, electrical engineers at Motorola who were part of the team that designed the Razr cell phone, were glad to get away from the office. "In order to break out of your shell and get out of your cube, you need to do different things," Jain said.
Although Rupal Raval was born in Indiana, not India, the Chicago attorney still feels a strong connection to her ancestry. "It means a lot to me to be able to tie into my own culture," said Raval, who wore a white Indian sari with gold and silver trim and was accompanied by her boyfriend, Ashok Vishnubhakta, who donned a black brocaded shirvani.