BY: Surjit Singh Flora
One of the largest Flower City Bhangra, Punjabi folk dance — competitions will be returning to Brampton downtown for the third year on Saturday, August. 10.
The five-day long competition will also showcase other local talent and performers, free dance lessons, and other activities.
The event, hosted by Saath Foundation — an organization raising awareness about social issues, bringing communities together, and promoting multiculturalism through cultural and social events — will be open to all communities to attend.
The live competition will host 13 senior and junior teams attending from across Canada, the United States and England.
FLOWER CITY BHANGRA
Flower City Bhangra is now the largest LIVE-ONLY bhangra competition outside of Punjab. We have created history by hosting 13 live teams in Senior and Junior teams.
Our vision for the Flower City Bhangra competition is to build a standard for a yearly Bhangra Competition, putting all required efforts to position and expand it as North America and the World’s best, biggest and leading Bhangra Competition within the first five years of operation, making the city of Brampton the heart and capital of that competition. Our vision reflects not only our values of integrity, service, excellence and teamwork but also our encouragement for multiculturalism and respect of each other’s legacy.
WHY THE NAME FLOWER CITY?
Brampton, the Bhangra Capital of Canada, also known as the Flower City, and the Greater Toronto Area are home to a large portion of the Canadian South Asian community and particularly the Punjabi community, and hiding under its sceneries are some of the most talented Bhangra dancers and academies around the world. The traditional folk dance of Bhangra is one of the most valued heritages of the Punjabi culture and is very much alive within the GTA, not only bringing and holding a community together through the preservation of their culture but welcoming neighboring communities to witness and enjoy its joys.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Flower City Bhangra Competition is now the biggest and best dance competition ever organized in Brampton! Last two years, we had a successful turnout with teams that are eager to return to next year’s competition and a public that waits to relive the talent and organization they witnessed for the 2017 and 2018 competitions. With the Canadian South Asian and Punjabi communities that cherish both their Canadian and Indian values equally, as well as the culturally diverse communities of Brampton who cherish and constantly support the multiculturalism offered by the city, we expect once again nothing but a full house in 2019.
Flower City Bhangra is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the competition planning and by so, the entertainment industry in Canada and particularly in Brampton. Our intention of launching and hosting a yearly competition is to promote cultural values and entertainment with a not-for-profit motive, doing all that is permitted by the law in the Canada to achieve our aim and ambition, as well as Canadian Values.
SAATH FOUNDATION
Saath Foundation is a registered Not-for-Profit Organization in Canada, aiming to be a helping hand, to raise awareness about social problems in our communities and to promote multiculturalism incorporating the values of the South Asian Community. “Saath” defines as “companionship” in Punjabi, Hindi, Gujraati and Urdu – setting our goal to support those in need through our humanitarian initiatives and bring communities together through our multicultural initiatives.
MULTICULTURAL INITIATIVE
Saath Foundation has taken upon itself to extend the livelihood of the Punjabi Culture through Bhangra and Giddha, and show the world the aptitude of the most elite academies, of the continent and from around the world, by launching the biggest-ever North American Competition, in Canada, Flower City Bhangra.
In the last two years, we mapped out strategies that helped us take advantage of the available market and allowed us to grow to become a major force to reckon within Brampton but also in other cities in Canada, the United States and around the world. This year, we are going for even bigger and better! At Flower City Bhangra, we are ready on all aspects of our competition’s organization to “rock the stage” every year and we are absolutely confident about our events’ ongoing potential and success. Our confidence although relies highly on our own abilities and potential to pull a success out of our efforts, is nonetheless relying on your support in maintaining our vision a reality. We are grateful for your support in last years’ events, and are looking forward to your involvement for this year’s competition and the years to come, allowing a dream to continue seeing the day, a community to share its beauty, a culture to spread through its artistic moves and your exposure to blossom from your financial commitment.
HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE –
Under its Humanitarian Initiative, Saath Foundation aims to be a helping hand, to raise awareness about social problems in our communities and ways to address them through social events such as meal distributions to vulnerable people around the GTA, participation in shelter activities, and partnering with local charity organizations to help achieve our common visions. Our social events will be a platform for individuals to participate both in giving and receiving, allowing awareness to spread as well and solutions to be implemented.
Feed the Needy
From March 2016 to July 2018, Saath Foundation has held multiple meal packages’ distributions throughout downtown Toronto and Brampton with over three hundred packages offered hand in hand. Meals have included sandwiches, sweets, snacks, pastries and beverages that were prepared and distributed by volunteers in evening times.
From September 2018 to date, Saath Foudation has changed how it delivers its meals to a lunch event held every last Saturdays of the month at the Grace United Church in Brampton. Lunches have included full two or three-course meals with a varied menu served each time, including South Asian and Western meals enjoyed by 60 to 90 guests each month so far.
For more information about the event, visit www.flowercitybhangra.com.
