Sunday Times 2
Sri Lankan Expat Association in New York Marks 46th anniversary
View(s):NEW YORK — The Sri Lanka Association of New York (SLANY), one of the longest surviving social grouping of expatriates in the US, recently marked its 46th anniversary with a celebratory dinner at its annual general meeting held at a well know Sri Lankan Restaurant “Sigiri” in Edison, New Jersey.
Formed in 1970, SLANY is also the first association of Sri Lankans in the United States and consists of expatriates living in the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The meeting was attended by its Patron, His Excellency Dr. Rohan Perera, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Mrs. Perera, Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador A.S Khan, many Past Presidents and members of the Association.
In welcoming the guests, the outgoing President Mrs. Linda de Silva thanked the two ambassadors for attending the Event and the Committee for their support during her tenure over the past two years.
The major event in 2016 was the traditional annual Christmas Dinner Dance where Sri Lankan families enjoyed an evening of fine food and dancing with a special visit from Santa Claus with gifts for the kids. Diedre Siriwardana was elected as the new President with a slate of Officers. She thanked the outgoing President and Committee for their hard work and pledged to continue in their footsteps.
Ambassador Perera congratulated the members for maintaining the Association for such a long period and keeping the Sri Lankan culture alive amongst the expatriate community. He also stated that the Mission would support the Association in its endeavors. Ambassador Khan also shared similar sentiments.
After the meeting, the attendees enjoyed a sumptuous buffet and fine wine at Sigiri. The smooth transition of power at the recent AGMs was a stark contrast to the heated AGM’s in the 1970s.