The funds will be directed towards ensuring children’s rights to a happy, healthy & educated life
CRY America, a non-profit aiming to help children in India and the U.S. develop to their full potential and realize their dreams, has raised $1.4 million through its 2025 Gala series held across six cities. The funds will be directed towards ensuring children’s rights to a happy, healthy & educated life, according to a press release.
Noted Indian actress Shabana Azmi appealed to the guests to do “our duty as a society to support organizations like CRY that work at the grassroots with projects that make transformative changes in the lives of children.”
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The evenings were an amalgam of glamor and generosity, with a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, dinner, donor appreciation, pledge session, bollywood music and dancing. An online auction with paintings donated by Indian artists, designer outfits & jewelry added interest to the event.
Guest Speakers included NYC’s Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna in New York, Subrat Tripathy from L&T Technologies leadership team in Houston, Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm’s Group General Manager in San Diego, MR Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora in the Bay Area and Sanjeev Sehgal, VP Caliber Collision in Austin.
They spoke about their conviction that the Indian diaspora had the choice and resources to support organizations like CRY America that give children a better future.
Shefali Sunderlal, CRY America’s CEO, talked about the ‘multiplier effect’ that these programs have, not only irreversibly transforming the lives of children in CRY supported Projects, but also lifting communities out of cycles of disenfranchisement.
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CRY’s Project Partner Lalithamma spoke about her work in the villages of Telangana district, Andhra Pradesh and shared stories of children whose life trajectories had been completely changed.
Kalpana was pulled out of school to work as a vegetable seller to support her family, according to the release. But due to the efforts of Project PORD, she was able to finish her schooling and now works as an engineer at a reputable company.
Mahesh, too, had to drop out of school and work as a farm laborer. Project PORD intervened and he was not only able to finish his studies, he now works at a national bank and mentors other children who are in the same situation as he was.
With the support of over 35,000 donors and 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has impacted the lives of 825,000 children living across 5,000 villages and slums through support to 111 Projects in India and the USA, according to the release.