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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline DECEMBER 11, 2020 | The Indian Eye 24

akshaya Patra foundation usa

Holds successful gratitude gala

raveena Tandon, John Chambers, Jamshyd godrej, sanjeev Kapoor,

Boman irani and sudha Murthy among speakers at virtual event

Our Bureau

New York, NY

he Akshaya Patra Foun-
dation USA held its 7th
Tand final grand finale vir-
tual gala of 2020, the Gratitude
Gala, this past Saturday eve-
ning. The Gratitude Gala was a
huge success having over 10,000
attendees who viewed the event
on Akshaya Patra’s webpage,
Facebook, Youtube and TV
Asia, and raised over $3 mil-
lion. The funds raised will pro-
vide COVID relief to migrant
workers, including cooked
meals, ration boxes for families,
and Happiness Kits containing
30 days’ worth of food, hygiene
products, and educational sup-
plies to our mid-day meal bene- in school. It is up to all of us to lizing her audience to make a kar Mahadevan performed sev-
ficiaries, as well as support mid- keep up the work of providing difference by promoting educa- eral popular songs and classic
day meals for school children meals and education and a de- tion and women empowerment. hits for the viewers to dance
when schools reopen for the cent childhood for our benefi- The inspirational poet and and sing-along. He sang various
2020-2021 school year. ciaries.” lyricist Javed Akhtar voiced his songs from semi-classical com-
2020 has been a year of gratitude for all the work Ak- positions from Bandish Ban-
change for Akshaya Patra as The gratitude gala virtual shaya Patra has done to end dits, Bhajans, and renderings of
they have shifted all in-person hunger. Then he graced us by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to mod-
events to be entirely virtual. event was a celebration of sharing one of his original po- ern foot-tapping numbers from
These seven virtual galas have Akshaya Patra’s 20th An- ems titled, Bhookh (Hunger). Kal ho na Ho and Lakshya.
reached over 32,000 people Then, Consul General of India Overall, the event was full
and consisted of a great list of niversary and thanks to all Randhir Jaiswal expressed his of heartfelt gratitude, lively
speakers, including Raveena of its supporters, donors, admiration for Akshaya Patra’s musical performances, and en-
Tandon, John Chambers, Jam- achievements and partnership lightening conversations, cele-
shyd Godrej, Sanjeev Kapoor, well-wishers, and partners. with the Indian Government brating the beneficiaries, vol-
Boman Irani, Sudha Murthy, dr. rachana Kulkarni, Car- to change millions of children’s unteers, chapter teams from
and many more. lives. Next, the talented Swana- Connecticut, Long Island, New
“The Gratitude Gala was diologist, and Akshaya Pa- nd Kirkire recited a poem he Jersey, and New York.
a poignant reminder of the re- tra Board Member hosted wrote and dedicated to Aksha- Established in 2000, Aksha-
alities of hunger. During the ya Patra. ya Patra is the world’s largest
COVID crisis, we stepped up to the evening. The poem talks about the NGO school meal program,
serve 100 million meals. But we eagerness for children to learn providing hot, nutritious school
also know that for a child, hun- Elegant and talented actress and discover the world and how lunches to over 1.8 million chil-
ger is a crisis every single day,” and politician Hema Malini Akshaya Patra provides for dren in over 19,257 schools
said Vandana Tilak, President shared her favorite silver screen these children, so they do not through 55 kitchens in 12 states
of Akshaya Patra Foundation moments, movies, and heroine go to bed hungry. and two Union Territories in In-
USA. “There is no escape, ex- roles. Also, she discussed her Throughout the evening, dia. It costs only $20 to feed a
cept for the meal they receive involvement in politics and uti- world-renowned singer Shan- child for an entire school year.

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