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In the early 1990’s there were very few telugu families in San Diego and they would meet either in a park or some ones home, ladies cooked food, celebrated our festival and enjoyed the com-munity events. Even in those days the community together was able to bring Indian artists like Jikki, ML Vasanthakumari to San Diego. SANTA thanks some of the ladies - Menaka Pan-durangam, Indira Duvuri, Dr. Manorama Reddy, Phani Peesapati, Swarajya Lakshmi, Hemala-tha Mutyala who actively put in lot of effort and time for the community. 

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As the Telugu community became bigger it necessitated the establishment of a formal organization for community activities. With Telugu Community input at several meetings and under the guidance and leadership of Professor G Krishnamoorthy, Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy, Mr. B. K. Prakash. along with other community members it was decided to form an association. The name “SANTA”  ( San Diego Telugu Association) was proposed by Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy and unanimously accepted by community members.  At the first meeting Mr. Chandrasekhar M. Reddy was unanimously elected as the first President to formalize and register the organization. The San Diego Telugu Association - SANTA- was established in 1994. The Vision and goal of SANTA is to promote our Telugu culture, language to our younger generation without prejudice to religion, region, or caste. The goal of SANTA is also to promote unity within Telugu community in San Diego.

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During all these years many members of the community supported various SANTA programs financially and other ways to make the organization operate in a very smooth and unified man-ner. SANTA thanks specially the support of Dr. Purushotham & Dr. Akther Kotha, Dr. Joseph Reddy & Aparna Reddy, Dr. Seenu Reddy & Saraswathi Reddy, Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy & Dr. Manorama Reddy, Mr. Kranthi & Sindhura Ponnam, Mr. Ravi & Dr. Manjari Hanumara, Mr. Bheema Rao & Prasuna. Many other Volunteers have helped SANTA over the past twenty five years. SANTA gratefully thanks each and every one of them. Our thanks to some of the past Presidents Mr. Narasimha Rao Lakamsani, Mrs. Padma Suvarna and our current President Srinivas Seelam for their excellent dedicated efforts. Our special thanks to our Chairman Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy for his untiring help to guide the Organization for the past twenty-five years from beginning to meet its vision and goals.SANTA also acknowledges the efforts and strives in the earlier years of our community mem-bers Prof. G. Krishnamoorthy, Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy, Narasimha Rao Lakamsani, Dr. Rami Reddy Mutyala & Hemalatha have put in lot of effort to keep our San Diego Telugu Community united.

 

SANTA volunteers and leadership through out the past twenty five years understood our vision and worked very hard in meeting our goals year after year. SANTA is very grateful for  the help of these volunteers and our Board, Executive committee Chandrasekhar Reddy, Kishore Srirambatla, Dr. Lakshmi Thirunagari, Yugendhar Chinniga, Bheema Rao, Srinivas Seelam, Radhika  Sandra, Vamshi Boda, Ravi Vennam, Sapna Reddy, Manjunath Reddy, Seema Chintamneedi, Rama R Macherla, Kishore Patro for putting a lot of effort in making SANTA Silver Jubilee, 25years of SANTA day long Celebrations possible and successful. A dream come true.
 

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