NEW YORK (TIP) : CRY America’s 2026 Gala Series brought together communities across five major U.S. cities, featuring award-winning actor Vikrant Massey, whose presence and heartfelt advocacy for children’s rights inspired attendees and elevated the evenings.
The galas were hosted in New York, Houston, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego, drawing members of the Indian diaspora who came together in strong support of CRY America’s mission. Guests contributed generously toward initiatives focused on ensuring underprivileged children have access to education, healthcare, and protection from child labor and child marriage.
Each evening offered a vibrant and engaging program that included a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, dinner, donor appreciation segments, and an energizing pledge session. Bollywood music and dancing added a celebratory spirit, while an online auction featuring paintings by Indian artists, designer outfits, and fine jewelry generated additional excitement and support.
The gala series featured an impressive lineup of guest speakers who shared their perspectives on giving back and community responsibility. Sree Sreenivasan, CEO of Digimentors, co-founder of SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association and co-host of the annual Nobel Prize Peace Conference spoke in New York. Sandy Santana, Executive Director of Children’s Inc in Houston. Priya Priyadarshini, Corporate Vice President, HR from Microsoft addressed the room in Seattle, Venky Harinarayan, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist, and co-founder of the cricket team San Francisco Unicorns spoke in the Bay Area and in San Diego, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, Consul General of India, LA spoke along with Kranti Ponnam, an accomplished business leader in Business, Technology, and Real Estate sectors. Each speaker emphasized that the Indian diaspora holds both the means and the opportunity to drive meaningful change by supporting organizations like CRY America.
Mr. K V Ramana, a pioneering social worker, moved the audiences with stories from the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. He detailed his work with the Yanadi tribal community, explaining that securing land rights was the essential first step in building the trust necessary to eliminate child labor, halt child marriages, and establish pioneering mini-child centers (Anganwadis).
Sandeep Bathala, Executive Director of CRY America, expressed gratitude for the collective generosity of the community that continues to empower sustainable change in children’s lives. She highlighted that every contribution helps expand access to essential services and strengthens long-term impact across underserved regions.
CRY America is deeply grateful to our sponsors and supporters including House of Spices, Dallas Venture Capital and Allstate Foundation among others as well as our Gala Committees, generous donors, project partners, media houses, volunteers & staff for their ongoing commitment towards creating pathways to possibilities for thousands of underprivileged children. Children’s lives will be irreversibly transformed due to our collective efforts!
About CRY America:
CRY, Child Rights and You America Inc (CRY America) is a 501c3 non-profit driven by its vision of a just world in which all children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential and realize their dreams. 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. For more information: contact Renuka Ramachandran at 617-981-2826; visit http://cryamerica.org or write to support@cryamerica.org
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