Woodbury, NY: The Rotary Club of Hicksville South (RCHS) celebrated its 17th Anniversary Appreciation Awards Gala and 18th Installation Ceremony on Tuesday evening at the elegant Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, New York. The memorable event marked the transition of leadership from Outgoing President Tahira Sharif (2025–26) to Incoming President Sandhya Bhatia (2026–27) while recognizing outstanding Rotarians and welcoming a record number of new members.
The evening began with a lively cocktail reception, networking session, and an impressive art exhibition. Guests had the opportunity to view original artwork displayed and generously donated by PDDG and Past President of RCHS Quddus Mohammed, an accomplished writer, poet, lyricist, and artist. Several pieces were auctioned during the evening to raise funds for the club’s charitable initiatives.
Following the reception, guests gathered in the main ballroom where the formal program commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Rotarian Roger Singh. The audience was then treated to a beautiful Chinese Folk Dance performed by members of the New York Chinese Qipao Association, Inc., coordinated by Rotarian Nishi Bahl of Panache Entertainment, setting an elegant and festive tone for the evening.
Distinguished guests included the Founding and Charter President of RCHS PDG Kamlesh Mehta; PDG Ravi Bhooplapur, President of Xavier University School of Medicine, Rotary Foundation Ambassador, a Hall of Fame Member, and the Chairman of Gift of Life of India; PDDG Quddus Mohammed; New York State Senator Steve Rhoads; Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena; Town of Oyster Bay Director of Community Affairs Harry Malhotra; Long Island Indo American Lions Club President Anju Sharma; Chinese Center on Long Island President Peter Au; India Day Parade President Vim Goyal; Turkish Cultural Center of Long Island President Sadri Altinok, Past President of The Gold Coast-Lake Success Rotary Club Douglas Okin, Director of Interfaith Outreach, Office of NYS Senator Steve Rhoads, Saeed Hassan, and numerous community leaders and volunteers from across Long Island.
In his welcome remarks, Kamlesh Mehta reflected on the club’s remarkable 17-year history of community service and humanitarian impact. He congratulated Outgoing President Tahira Sharif for her successful year of leadership and welcomed Incoming President Sandhya Bhatia, expressing confidence that her leadership would take the club to even greater heights.
The evening’s keynote address was delivered by Ling Xu, Senior Vice President and Director of Retail Banking at Flushing Bank, who inspired attendees with remarks on leadership, service, and community engagement.
Past Presidents of RCHS in attendance included Dr. Urmilesh Arya, Roopam Maini, Nilima Madan, Rizwan Qureshi, Mizan Rahman, and Aleya Jung.
The Gala was expertly organized by Nilima Madan and Roopam Maini, who served as Gala Chair and Co-Chair, respectively, and also co-emceed the evening’s program.
The club honored several distinguished members for their exceptional service and contributions:
Each award recipient received a specially designed commemorative plaque presented by PDG Ravi Bhooplapur and PDG Kamlesh Mehta.
In her farewell address, Tahira Sharif reflected on a successful Rotary year filled with impactful community service projects and expressed heartfelt appreciation to fellow members, volunteers, and supporters. She was subsequently honored with the prestigious Rotary International Paul Harris Recognition Certificate and Pin, presented by PDG Ravi Bhooplapur, in addition to receiving the RCHS Presidential Award.
The installation ceremony for Incoming President Sandhya Bhatia and the 2026–27 Executive Committee was administered by New York State Senator Steve Rhoads.
The Executive Committee includes:
One of the evening’s most significant milestones was the induction of 14 new members, representing the largest membership expansion in the club’s recent history. Senator Steve Rhoads administered the oath of membership to: Dr. Sanjay Lodha, Inder Pal Singh, Dr. Jagmohan Karla, Dr. Ramesh Gupta, Pradeep Tandon, Shashi Malik, Paresh Raval, Atul Parekh, Naresh Kumar, Jaspreet (Jas) Mayal, Gautam Sanghvi, Mukand Padmabhan, Jay Singh, and Neena Sawe.
In her acceptance remarks, President Sandhya Bhatia shared her vision for the coming Rotary year, emphasizing leadership through service, collaboration, membership growth, and meaningful community engagement. She reaffirmed Rotary’s enduring motto, “Service Above Self,” and pledged to build upon the club’s strong foundation while expanding its impact throughout Long Island.
The evening concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Club Secretary Dr. Neeru Bhambri, followed by dinner, desserts, fellowship, and dancing to popular Bollywood melodies, bringing a memorable celebration to a close.
With strong leadership, record membership growth, and renewed enthusiasm, the Rotary Club of Hicksville South looks forward to another outstanding year of service to the community during the 2026–27 Rotary year.
(All photos courtesy: RCHS)
