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August 26, 2004

Media Advisory. . . Media Advisory. . . Media Advisory. . .

Back to School Party” – Mr. Dilip Mehta donates free backpacks and
school supplies for 59 public housing children grades K-5

It’s not unusual for someone celebrating a milestone birthday to put on a party costing several thousand dollars.

But this Sunday, August 29, from 2-4 p.m. at the Woodbridge Housing Authority Community Center, 19 Bunns Lane, Woodbridge businessman Dilip Mehta is throwing his 60 th birthday bash for a select group of friends – 59 children grades K-5 who reside at the Township’s public housing facility, Woodbridge Garden Apartments.

Each youngster will receive a backpack filled with new back-to-school supplies, courtesy of Mr. Mehta, owner of Dimple Fast Food in Iselin. Then they’ll sit down to a feast of pizza, ice cream and cake, also provided by their host in observance of Indian tradition that enjoins the birthday celebrant to give gifts to others.

“Mr. Mehta is a shining example of someone who consistently looks out for those in the community who need assistance and cheer,” says Mayor Frank G. Pelzman. “When Mr. Mehta came to us to help with logistical details, we were proud to offer our full cooperation.”

Members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee, coordinated by Councilwoman Patricia Osborne, aided in assembling the packs and school supplies. The Woodbridge Housing Authority, which administers Woodbridge Garden Apartments, identified the recipients and opened the recreation center for the event.

Mr. Mehta began to sponsor meals and gatherings for Woodbridge senior citizens in 1998 as a tribute to his own recently deceased parents. A former professor of mechanical engineering in his native Bhavnagar, India, he maintains a lifelong interest in helping children succeed in school, which at the elementary level often means providing them with the basic equipment to function in the classroom: pencils, rulers, notebooks and so on.

When asked to specify why he exhibits such marked generosity to strangers in his adopted land, Dilip Mehta replies simply, “It is my pleasure to serve others.”

“Dilip Mehta is too humble to sing his own praises,” said Councilwoman Brenda Yori Velasco, who has worked with Mr. Mehta on numerous community events. “He contributes enormously to the high standard of volunteerism in the Township.”