Source: SikhNet
http://www.sikhnet.com/news/sikhs-fremont-celebrate-july-4th-seva
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.