IRCC, Florida

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY AND HISTORY Founded in 1978 by a small but culturally passionate group of Indian immigrants. IRCC was one of the first Indian organizations in South Florida whose sole purpose was to preserve and promote our rich Indian heritage and culture among families who had made America their home. Over the years, the community came together to celebrate many festivals. This special bond brought them closer and kept ancient traditions and culture alive. The IRCC has about 150 life members plus 400 annual members. We send out event flyers electronically via mass email distribution. Today we stand recognized as a formal non-profit organization, registered with Internal Revenue Services under code section 501(c)3. Our main contribution towards the growing Indian community is instilling the next generation with rich Indian Traditions and strong appreciation for our heritage. We continue to host family events throughout the year and have also broadened our horizons to have our youth participate and host many charitable events. We host at a minimum, five events every year, to keep our mission alive. IRCC’s mission is to keep the rich culture and traditions of India alive and passing on the torch to the younger generation. We also bring our rich culture of acceptance and unity with us. It is our duty to showcase our rich culture and traditions which will further bring Americans and Indians together for the betterment of the society and lay a strong foundation of friendship. • Anand Bazaar/ Republic Day – celebrating the end of the harvesting season with kite flying, games and honoring the Republic Day of India. • Holi Picnic – Playing with colors and water in this joyful, colorful festival in spring. • Rakshabandhan/ Bowling – Our annual membership event held around the time of Rakshabandhan, a day marked to respect sibling love, specifically the bond between a brother and sister. • Navratri – The festival of nine nights, held to honor the Goddess Durga, a symbol of power and motherhood. IRCC hosts two nights of folk dancing where people come and dance together with traditional folk dance steps and pray to the Goddess. • Diwali – The festival of lights which ultimately signifies the triumph of good over evil. This is IRCC’s flagship event with a whole day of riveting performances, fabulous food, great shopping and fun and games for the family. For more information, please visit www.irccflorida.com