FOMAA comprises of 56 Kerala associations in North America.
By The American Bazaar Staff
POTOMAC, MD: The Washington, DC, area chapter of the Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americans (FOMAA) held a conference here on March 29th, in preparation for the organization’s fourth annual convention, which will be held later this summer.
Dozens of FOMAA members from the region attended the convention, which was inaugurated by its national president, George Mathew.
FOMAA is an umbrella organization of 56 Kerala associations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2008, it has presence in nearly all US states and Canadian provinces.
The main focus of the meet was to kickoff registration for the organization’s biennial convention, scheduled to be held at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, PA, in suburban Philadelphia from June 26th.
Briefing the members about the organization’s activities, Mathew said he and his team are working to make the convention the best ever hosted by the group.
FOMAA general secretary Gladson Varghese told the gathering that the organization is expecting around 4,000 people to attend the convention.
Some 25 FOMAA members from the Washington area registered for the convention, at the event. According to the organization’s regional vice president George Cherupil, dozens more are expected to sign up for the convention in the coming weeks.
Other FOMAA leaders who spoke at the event include former general secretary Benoy Thomas, judicial council chair Thomas Jose, and national committee members Kutty Menon and Shaji Padiyanikal.
Washington area Malayalee community leaders Thomas Kurien, Anil Nair, Rajan Mathai, Raj Kurup and Vinson Palathingal also spoke at the event.
In his speech, president Mathew highlighted FOMAA’s association with the Arizona-based Grand Canyon University, which provides tuition discounts to the organization’s members.
Babu Thomas, a Washington area FOMAA member who liaisons between FOMAA and the university, said more than 1,500 students have received such discounts in the past two years.
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