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March for the Millennium

A P Kamath in Minneapolis

Asserting that family values are the best antidotes to the escalating violence in schools and the larger society across America, the Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha is organizing walkathons in at least a dozen North American cities.

The walkathons start on September 25 will end on October 17. The event here is set for September 26.

Several walkathons are being held in the south since thousands of Indian American families have migrated to places like Georgia and Florida in the past decade.

The fact that BAPS is organizing the marches in smaller American cities such as Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia, indicates the growing presence of the organization that was hardly known two decades ago in America. Today it has temples in more than a dozen cities, and is the subject of number of positive stories in mainstream publications.

Several well-known American politicians, including Jesse Jackson, have visited the BSS temples and have lauded the organization for dedicating itself to moral resurgence.

The marches will not only spread the message of BAPS, promoting a moral life accompanied by the abstinence of meat and alcohol, but will also raise funds for the organization that has in recent years begun running charity clinics and welfare activities in America.

Called 'March for the Millennium', the marches are expected to draw thousands of BAPS followers. Among the major marches are the ones to be held in San Jose, Los Angeles and New York. While some of the venues are being finalized, the dates are set.

In Silicon Valley, the march will begin at 8 am on October 3 at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont. And on October 10 too the walkathon will begin at 8 am, at the Cerritos Park East in Los Angeles.

Dates for other cities:

September 25: Detroit, MI

September 26: Toronto, Canada; Orlando, Fl; Chicago, ILL; St. Louis, MO; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio and Minneapolis, MN.

October 2: Charlotte, NC; Augusta, GA; Birmingham, AL.

October 3: San Jose/Fremont; Atlanta, GA; Tampa, FL.

October 9: Washington DC.

October 10: Los Angeles; Dallas and Houston, TX, New York.

October 17: Edison, New Jersey.

For more information, contact Walkathon99SJ@BAPS.org/Rakesh, (562) 591 4417.

If you would like to post any information about forthcoming events or community happenings, please email the details to bettypais@aol.com

Information and photographs can also be mailed to Betty Pais at 87-52 108th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2229, USA.

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