A Sunny Day, a Shared Cause, and a Lot of Samosas
They See Blue Bay Area Picnic – August 3, Palo Alto

What do you get when you mix sunshine, snacks, and spirited conversation? A classic They See Blue Bay Area gathering! On August 3, we came together at a sunny Palo Alto park for our annual picnic - and yes, a fun time was absolutely had by all.
 

Folks showed up from near and far - shoutout to our friends who made the trek from Monterey and Pleasanton! Members brought homemade goodies, cool drinks, and a shared sense of purpose in these chaotic political and economic times.

We even had a special guest in attendance: Nicholas Hargis from Rep. Sam Liccardo’s office. He filled us in on the Congressman’s three-pronged strategy to push back against extremist policies: legislate, litigate, and educate. Music to our ears!

After loading up our plates (priorities!), we kicked off the speaking portion of the picnic. Vidya Pradhan and Jasneel Chaddha got us going with thoughtful and inspiring words. Vidya reminded us that off-year elections are where the magic happens - with key races in Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania this year, there’s plenty to do.

Jasneel gave us a peek into what the TSB Youth Chapter is cooking up, from grassroots organizing to building lasting community. Then our co-founders, Rajiv Bhateja and Rajat Srivastava, brought the passion and perspective: Rajat reminded us that compassion is our north star, and Rajiv shared data that gives us real hope for a political turnaround.

But the real stars? All of YOU. TSB members who grabbed the mic and shared creative, heartfelt ideas for how we can make an even bigger impact. The energy was electric.
 

Special thanks to Samina Shetty for her hard work putting this whole thing together - and to Jayashree Bhaskar of our Pennsylvania chapter for her invaluable guidance in making the picnic a hit.

Scroll down for photos of smiling faces, shady trees, and seriously good eats. Click on a photo for a larger view.

See you at the next gathering. Till then, let’s keep showing up for each other, and for democracy.