By Wendy Keyes/March of Dimes
On October 18, 2014 at West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, the Mercer County Chain Reaction Youth Council hosted its annual show, Rangeela, and raised close to $100,000 for the March of Dimes. Rangeela is a multi-cultural evening of dance, live music and food, and was attended this year by over 600 people from the Central Jersey area. Rangeela is organized by the nationally recognized March of Dimes youth group, Mercer County Chain Reaction Youth Council.
This event has become one of the most eagerly anticipated events for the local community, as it draws a wide spectrum of talent and an enthusiastic audience. Rangeela is a success due to dedicated youth members and generous community participation. The show dates back to 2001, when it was founded by Rahul Bansal, a West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North graduate. Since its inception, Rangeela has raised approximately $600,000 for the March of Dimes. Rangeela trustees Percis Bansal, Pinakin Parthak and Kalpana Patel continue to work very closely with the youth and adult mentors to ensure success. The 2014 Rangeela co-chairs were Ketan Thakker and Rena Patel.
This year, Rangeela featured dances by prominent local choreographers, and a performance by award winning Bollywood Playback Singer Samir Date, accompanied by Dipalee Somaiya. There was also a special appearance and performance by Articulate Ability, an ensemble of visually challenged dancers from India. The evening concluded with a gourmet Indian dinner from The Pind (Palace of Asia).
Funds raised support lifesaving research and educational programs throughout New Jersey to help all babies, such as CenteringPregnancy® (group model of prenatal care); Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait® (an education campaign to encourage women, if their pregnancy is healthy, to wait until at least 39 weeks to deliver); and NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) Family Support.
Premature birth is the most serious infant health problem in the United States today. It affects nearly half a million babies nationwide each year, including over 11,600 babies in New Jersey. Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have lifelong disabilities. The March of Dimes is committed to reversing this trend by funding research to find the causes of premature birth and developing strategies to prevent it.
