In early autumn, the Kerala Association of Washington (KAW) came together to celebrate Onam 2018 and support the worthiest of causes: the worldwide #RebuildKerala campaign. Over 1,000 attendees flocked to the Auburn Performing Arts Center for the harvest festival and celebrate Onam, a Hindu holiday and harvest festival that commemorates King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to revisit Kerala during this time each year. Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) Global Real Estate Advisor Ambili Sukesan, who serves as a Gold Level Sponsor of KAW, was there to offer support and interact with guests.
In August 2018, the state of Kerala underwent the worst floods of the century, as heavy rain and landslides isolated towns and destroyed homes and roadways. It caused an estimated $3 billion in damage and resulted in 400 deaths and the displacement of over 700,000 people. Kerala continues to fight collectively to rebuild from this state of ruins and the world has come together with the #RebuildKerala initiative, which raises funds to support this endeavor. This year, KAW decided to organize their annual Onam festival to support #RebuildKerala and partnered with the Indian Association of Western Washington (IAWW) to conduct a live auction.
“The magnitude of destruction is almost beyond imagining,” says Sukesan. “I am glad we found a way to raise funds to benefit #RebuildKerala while bringing our community together for the annual Onam celebration and that we can continue to offer support in other endeavors as well.”
During the event, Sukesan volunteered her time to support fundraising and presented Lake Chelan View Apartments to the audience, highlighting its investment opportunity with a video and brochures. Sukesan also shared that she and fellow broker Helen Pederslie, together with The Central Townhomes, have pledged to give a portion of the commission of each sale to help the people of Kerala rebuild and return to their homes.
“When a buyer purchases one of The Central Townhomes, a direct donation of $10,000 will be given to #RebuildKerala—half provided by myself and Pederslie, and half from Rainier Vista North LLC, the developer of the project,” Sukesan says.
Sukesan also offered support for this cause in early October at the Seattle Sings for Kerala: A Tamil – Malayalam Live Music Show, held at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center, where all show proceeds were given to these efforts.