TBA members with Gov. Haslam
NASHVILLE, TN: One month of grass roots fundraising effort paid off big for the Red Cross this month. The Tennessee Business Association (TBA) raised $21,000.00 to help the Red Cross with the Nashville Flood Relief effort. The fundraiser was the first project undertaken by the TBA’s current president, Dhansukh (Dan) Patel, past Chairman of AAHOA, Asian American Hotel Owners Association and the owner of multiple hotels in Tennessee.
A check in the amount of $21,000, including the funds raised in one month of flyer campaigns and donations matched by local hotel owners, was presented to the Red Cross on October 18. Over 100 people gathered at the Days Inn Stadium hotel in Nashville for the event. TBA presented the check to local volunteer Chairman for the Red Cross, Dr Pramod Wasudev.
The TBA is an association of hotel and local business owners in the Greater Nashville area. Since the disastrous flooding in May of this year, the association’s primary topic for discussion has been how to bring relief to flood victims and help rebuild Nashville, a city built on tourism and hospitality. TBA members have been working tirelessly to bring relief to the flood victims.
Flyers were posted in hotels, where guests were asked to donate to the Red Cross relief effort. Hotel owners matched the donations given, thus doubling the amount given to the Red Cross. The money will be used to help those still suffering from the devastating losses caused by the floods that struck Middle Tennessee May 2, 2010.
Special guest here was then Tennessee gubernatorial candidate, Bill Haslam and his wife. Haslam has now been elected Governor of Tennessee. He answered many questions regarding the economy and how the Tennessee tourism budget will be spent.
TBA made a generous donation to Haslam for his campaign and many members also made personal donations. This was truly a ground breaking event for TBA in its efforts to create community awareness. Mr. Shantu Hari was instrumental in coordinating this event.
Nalini Raja
India Post News Service
