In recent times FEZANA had put out an appeal for funds toward COVID-19 relief for our Zarathushti community in India.

We are happy to share two separate projects by our own North American youth towards this endeavor. We congratulate and  thank these amazing Zarathushti youth, their parents, their teachers and supporters in enabling this.

The first is a video put together by the 6-8th grade religion class of California Zoroastrian Center in Los Angeles. In spirit of “Hamazoori” and inspired by FEZANA’s call to action to help fellow Zarathushtis impacted by COVID 19 in India the youth have made a video with the following YouTube link to encourage donation to this important cause.

The second project was carried out by Athra and Yasna Goshtasbi of Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc. They decided to raise funds and dedicate them towards the COVID-19 relief in India.

Below is a short write up by Athra. A detailed write up will be printed in the upcoming Summer 2021 issue of the FEZANA Journal.

In 2016, my older sister, Yasna, decided to raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS), because she’d seen how cancer touches so many lives and impacts so many families. Every year, Yasna and I, with support from our parents and help from ZAMWI members and the ZAMWI board, held fundraising galas at our Dar-e Mehr. Attendees enjoyed each other’s company and raised money for ACS and ZAMWI through packages tailored to the theme of the night. Proceeds from the night were split halfway between ACS and ZAMWI, unless people donated specifically to either cause. With the support of our community, we raised a total of over $35K through our first five events before the pandemic hit.

In 2020, my entire family’s first instinct was that this year, we should raise funds to help families in our North American Zoroastrian community who have been severely impacted by the pandemic. After struggling to think of a way to hold an event on-par with our galas, I worked with the rest of the fundraising committee to plan a virtual fundraiser. The committee met multiple times over Zoom, starting in the summer, and exchanged emails to brainstorm ideas and plan the event, hoping to engage all audiences. Through Dr. Dolly Dastoor and a contact in California who was also working to help COVID-impacted families, we were able to identify a family in North America that we could help while keeping them anonymous.

We held our virtual event on January 2, 2021, with Fereydoon Keshavarz as our MC, violin by Artin Aidun, a video from Maz Jobrani, raffle drawings (the raffle prizes were donations as well), and Trivia by Yasna and Shawdi Keshavarz. We raised over $5,600 from the event and have already sent $2,400 to one family! By the time all pledges arrived and numbers were finalized, it was May. Considering the government aid and relative improvement of the situation in the US as compared to the state of the pandemic in India, as a committee, we decided to redirect the remaining funds towards FEZANA’s aid to COVID relief in India. Thus, with the remaining $3,200+, we hope to provide some relief from the pandemic in India.

Donations are still being accepted. If you would like to donate, click on the button below, or send your checks to

Rooky Fitter
FEZANA Treasurer 
P.O Box 266, Sunset Beach, CA 90742