Fremont, 
CA – Residents of Fremont celebrated 4th of July with a parade like the past ten years. More than one hundred organizations and businesses participated in the parade and nearly ten thousand people watched it.
The Greater Fremont area has a significant population of Sikhs. A small civic-minded Sikh organization named S.E.V.A. has been participating in the 4th of July celebrations for the last seven years. This year again, its members prepared a Sikh-American themed float and distributed 8400 bottles of free chilled water at the parade.
Each water bottle was custom branded with a few facts about Sikhism. S.E.V.A members set up six water-serving stations alongside the 1.2 miles-long parade route and more than sixty of them worked tirelessly for five hours on stocking each station, handing out water bottles to their fellow citizens and cleaning up at the end. Several S.E.V.A. members spent long hours decorating the float a day earlier.
The larger community and parade organizers appreciate and recognize the spirit of selfless service exhibited by Sikhs at the parade. This year they were rewarded by People’s Choice Award by the parade organizers.
S.E.V.A. started participating in 4th July parades in order to dispel misconceptions about Sikhs and it has been making a perceptible difference year after year. Many have now started calling the S.E.V.A. members “water boys”.
They also shower them with words of gratitude when they are handed bottles of chilled water in the hot July sun. Some express their praise via e-mails. This year’s best one came from a parade participant who was part of a band. This fellow sent an e-mail right after the parade stating, “I would like to start off by thanking you for the water. I was in the police band holding the banner and I would have overheated if it weren't for you guys. I know we have different beliefs in god but bless you all for the selfless service you provided. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!”
S.E.V.A. is based in Fremont. Most of its members came together after September 11th, 2001. They have been operating in civic and inter-faith spheres at grass-roots level since then. Their efforts are helping them build strong bridges with the larger community. They encourage other Sikh organizations and community activists to participate in 4th of July celebrations in their respective cities and locales. It is their firm belief that such efforts go long ways in asserting our identity and place in the American society.
Any questions related to this can be sent to [email protected]. S.E.V.A. members would love to help any other organization start similar efforts.