Those who wandered into the room that evening may have seen a group of young girls dancing to an old Indian song before a crowd of 70 people. Or, they might have caught a glimpse of a belly dancer gyrating her hips to rhythmic beats of Turkish and Egyptian songs.

While it may have seemed like a night of entertainment, it was a time for committee members in the Building Bridges program to get to work in preparation for the cultural celebration scheduled for the last week of October.

Participants—some dressed in traditional cultural attire—met for the second time in four months to discuss each committee's progress in finding entertainment groups, recruiting volunteers and brainstorming special events within each academic and religious institution, as well as local clubs.

According to Fred Armstrong, who is spearheading the project and is the chairman of the religious organizations committee, the program has grown from 28 participating clubs and churches to 48 different organizations. He said that a majority of the growth came from recruiting religious institutions. When members first met in February, there were only four churches participating, but all 17 religious organizations, in addition to all of the elementary through high schools in Saratoga, are now on the list.

"The preproduction work is moving along very successfully," said Jeff Nerney, chairman of the entertainment committee. "It's been exciting work so far. We've been laying down the nuts and bolts of the production process."

So far, the committee has mapped out and communicated with various potential entertainment groups including the Taiko Drummers, the Samahong Candle Dancers, Ballet Folklorico and Kitka A capella. Nerney said he hopes to include more groups and will be mailing out applications to interested organizations in July. He said he also plans to work with the fashion club at West Valley College to put on a show displaying traditional clothing from around the world.

Members in the schools committee are also planning special activities for the week of the celebration. Katherine Tseng, PTA president for Argonaut Elementary School, said she plans to have an outreach program which would allow students from every school in the community to work together to find ways to reach out to underprivileged children in other countries. For example, students would make their own textbooks or donate their favorite teddy bear to children in Pakistan.

"Children will feel a sense of empowerment," said Tseng. "This will also encourage them to realize that there are cultural differences in the world."

Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith, who was also present at the meeting, said her personal experiences with diversity has made it even more meaningful to be a part of the celebration. Waltonsmith said she's received negative criticism in the past about her mixed-race family and has helped minorities looking for housing fight racial discrimination.

"This is serious business," said Waltonsmith. "Underneath this wonderful event is a very serious thread of inclusion. We not only need to promote diversity, but also prevent discrimination."

During the week of the celebration, scheduled for Oct. 26, community organizations will be holding their own events. The Saratoga Historical Foundation will stage a slide show and Hakone Gardens will host a tea ceremony. Other organizations such as the Saratoga Rotary Club and the Foothill Club will hold special guest lectures, as well as providing food and dance.

In addition, special presentations about each of the five major religions—Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism—will be held either at the library's community room or at Saratoga High School.

Building Bridges is sponsored by Saratoga Rotary in conjunction with West Valley College.