Ultimate Patio Party

16 Austin South Asian | May 2022

Plan The Ultimate Patio Party With This Checklist

If you’re like many people, you’re more than ready to gather friends together. Whether you’re planning the bash of the century or just want to turn a run-of-themill afternoon into a bonified party, use these tips to make your outside gathering pop: Great Food Barbecues are always popular, but you don’t need a huge grill set-up to entertain guests outdoors. In warmer weather, you may prefer to keep guests cool and wellfed with light bites like Vietnamese sum-

mer rolls, charcuterie, fresh dips, seasonal veggies, cold pasta and fruit salad.

Fun Games

Keep spirits high with fun activities. Lawn games like cornhole, Spikeball and oversized Jenga are perennial favorites. For those that prefer to take it easy, be sure to include games that can be played at the table, like Cards Against Humanity and all of its various iterations. Do you and your friends have a competitive streak? Set up a bracket system and host a knockout tournament. Winner gets bragging rights until the next party.

Surprising Libations Hard teas are trending, hard. They make for a delicious daytime sipper on their own, but can also serve as the perfect base for warm weather cocktails -- especially when they’re made from authentic ingredients. Lagunitas’ Disorderly TeaHouse, a 100-calorie, gluten-free, premium spiked, sparkling tea is brewed using guayusa leaves -- an Amazonian botanical herb -- and features natural fruit flavors, like yuzu lemon, raspberry and blackberry. Try it alone or make this simple slushie recipe your party’s signature cocktail: lagunitas.com/story/disorderly-teahouseslushie. You can pick up the main ingredient -- Disorderly TeaHouse -- at Sprouts, Meijer, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Safeway. Or you can have it delivered. For $5 off on Drizly, use the promo code “DTHCincodeMayo” between April 28 and May 8, code “DTHMemorialDay” between May 15 and May 31, and “DTHFirstTasteofSummer” between June 1 and June 22. (Courtesy of Drizly. 21+. New users only. Void where prohibited).

Great Jams

The right music can make a good party great. Be the perfect host (and DJ) by just hitting play on this already carefully-curated “Steep Cuts” playlist from Lagunitas. Featuring artists like Kurt Vile, The Linda Lindas and Jack White, it celebrates all things disorderly like mosh pits, sound blasting out of garages, and dancing with wild abandon: open.spotify.com/playlist/2E2GGB9TYIeOvvwjRY6 VzX.

Be sure to make the most of your playlist with high-quality, durable speakers designed to deliver great sound in outdoor spaces over the revelry. Those that link to other Bluetooth speakers are a good choice for creating surround sound -- perfect for that impromptu dance party.

Take the Party into Night Should your party extend into the evening, you’ll want to be prepared. Remember that at dusk, the bugs come out in full force, so consider citronella candles to ward them off. For cool nights, consider having a heat lamp or smokeless portable fire pit on hand to keep guests nice and toasty. For ambiance and to illuminate the fun, hang string lighting or paper lanterns.

Hindu Charities For America (Education & Careers For America (EC4A)

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The pandemic also forced HC4A to rethink how it could continue fund-raising events in new and creative ways.

Instead of in-person events, HC4A successfully funded its school-supply and scholarship programs in 2020 through digital outreach. Thanks to countless volunteers and donors, HC4A had its best year ever!

The leadership team also took time to consider other changes that will move HC4A forward. Its name—Hindu Charities—implies who the organization is, but it does not convey what it does.

When making presentations to potential service recipients or donors, HC4A’s representative often had to explain that it is not a religious charity, nor does it serve Hindus only.

In fact, presenters pointed out that Hindu students are rarely beneficiaries of the organization’s work. After much discussion and deliberation, the leadership team concluded that the time had come to transition the focus of Hindu Charities from who it is to what it does.

The team decided that new branding was necessary, and agreed that the most appropriate name would be one that reflects HC4A’s focus on supporting education that leads to careers.

Thus the new brand is Education & Careers For America or EC4A. The registered name Hindu Charities for America does not change—who it is helped establish presence in the community. Now, as the organization become recognized more for what it does, it will expand its services through broader engagement with the population at large. Those interested in learning more can visit the new website at ec4a.org.

Mr. Kotecha, having spent most of his time over the past 20 years doing volunteer work since his retirement in 2001, has decided it is time to spend more time with family and addressing health issues.

While he will step away from core responsibilities of EC4A, he will remain as Founder and moral guide as the organization expands in new ways.

Mr. Kotecha stated, “we have built HC4A with tactical vision – moving forward we must build it with strategic vision.” He announced that Pankil Matalia will take the lead on carrying out this strategic vision.

“Pankil will continue our school-supplies and scholarship-funding programs, and he will also look at other effective programs that will grow our services and chapters over time,” Mr. Kotecha said.

Mr. Matalia will begin his new role by leading a return of Bollywood Meets Borscht Belt, EC4A’s annual school-supplies fundraiser, on June 26, 2022, at the Jewish Community Center in Austin from 4-7 PM. Mr. Kotecha concluded, “I know that many believe in and support EC4A’s mission and will provide Pankil and his team the support they need to take EC4A from Good to Great! I am looking forward to continued growth and success for EC4A!”

Scholarship awards to Capital Idea in memory of EC4A former Foundation Board Chair Late Dr. Ishvar Thakkar! From Left to right: Steve Jacobs (Exec. Dir., Capital Idea), Amy Silvery (Amy Silvey Dir. of Development & Communications, Capital Idea), Jaya Thakkar (Foundation Board Member, EC4a), Dinesh Vakharia (VP Programs, EC4A) & Barbara James (VP Programs, EC4A)