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$13,000 raised by college and local organization for toilet facilities in Indian slums

February 19, 2007

For immediate release - Feb. 19, 2007 Contact: Eric Cárdenas (860) 439-2508; eric.cardenas@conncoll.edu   $13,000 raised by college and local organization for toilet facilities in Indian slums   Feb. 15 fundraiser called a "huge success;" Dinner featured Indian food, dancing, performances and educational presentations   NEW LONDON, Conn. - A dinner and fundraiser held last week to raise money to provide toilet facilities for families who live in one of poorest slum settlements in India raised more than $13,000 in donations and pledges.

The fundraiser, coordinated by the college's Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy and Friends of Shelter Associates (FSA), attracted 135 people. There were 35 student performers and 30 student volunteers, and four "Bollywood" dances and one skit. Speakers consisted of faculty, student and community members.

"This was indeed a collective effort that brought together faculty, students, and staff from Connecticut College and a very diverse set of community members from Southeastern Connecticut," said Sunil Bhatia, an associate professor of human development at the college and one of the event organizers.

Bhatia said the FSA's goal is to raise $40,000 to build 200 individual toilets, which would serve 2,500 people who currently have no access to basic toilet facilities. Including the fundraiser at Connecticut College, FSA has raised a total of $28,000. According to the United Nations, 700 million individuals in India have no access to toilet facilities.

Shelter Associates is a non-governmental organization that sponsors the construction of toilets in the slums of Pune, Sangli, and Miraj in Maharashtra, India. FSA was formed in New London to assist Shelter Associates in raising funds for the project. This committee consists of volunteer members from the local Indian community and staff, students, and faculty from Connecticut College.

For more information, contact Sunil Bhatia at ssbha@conncoll.edu or Jyoti Ranade at jyor@hotmail.com, or Adesh Saxena at adesh.m.saxena@pfizer.com. Or call Bhatia at 860-439-5078 or 860-437-3808.

For more information about Shelter Associates, visit the website at http://shelter-associates.org/.

Ranked among the most selective private liberal arts colleges in the nation, Connecticut College enrolls 1,900 men and women from 43 states and 45 countries. The college is known for putting the liberal arts into action through interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. Founded in 1911, the college operates under an 85-year-old honor code. The college is located at 270 Mohegan Ave, New London, about two hours by car from Boston and New York. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum overlooking Long Island Sound. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.   --CC--

For media inquiries contact: Deborah MacDonnell (860) 439-2504, dmacdonn@conncoll.edu