KHNA News on Sasidharan Pillai

Los Angeles, CA, Feb 13, 2007: This is to update KHNA's members and donors that KHNA has closed the fundraising to help the family of Mr. Sasidharan Pillai who had unexpectedly passed away while on a temporary work assignment in the USA. Plese see the earlier news story (Dec 7) reproduced below. KHNA is very grateful to the voluntary outpouring of support for the family, which resulted in a large number of donation checks arriving at KHNA headquarters from all over the country. The donated funds add up to $14,929.00. After the payment to the funeral home and for air transportation of the body, the net funds are $9,246.00. The KHNA trustees and directors have decided that this whole net amount will be deposited in an bank account in Kerala in the names of the two young children of Mr. Sasidharan Pillai, for them to use for their higher education when they turn 18.

Please see the Complete List of Donations and Donors for the fund. KHNA thanks all the generous donors! The earlier news item on the fund is reproduced below.

Los Angeles, CA; Charleston, SC, Dec 7, 2007: A friend in need is a friend indeed, and KHNA had a chance to be a friend to Mr. Sasidharan Pillai, who passed away unexpectedly in Charleston, SC, on November 21, 2007. Mr. Pillai had no family in the USA and was on a temporary work assignment at the Charleston Port. He hails from Muthukulam and is survived by his wife and two children of ages under 10. His travel to US to find work had caused some debt burden as well. Thus help was sorely needed to ensure that the body would reach the family in India. Once they received the information, KHNA officials did all the required work to arrange for the body to be sent to India, and the family received it on December 6th. The KHNA community responded quickly in a fundraising event by email requests to cover the expenses for funeral home and air transport which is being solely born by KHNA. KHNA thanks all who responded generously. The fundraising is expected to be completed by December 22. If you would like to contribute please send your donation to "KHNA Sasidharan Pillai Fund, P.O. Box 2764, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729". The following is the press release in Malayalm, from Kerala.