Bollywood Star and Child-Rights Champion
Helps CRY’s Annual Gala Event Roar Back from Two-Year Quarantine

NEW YORK (TIP): Call it the most “feel-good” road movie yet to be made: A
Bollywood heartthrob and a salt-of-the-earth social reformer from rural India race
coast-to-coast via plane, train and automobile on a two-week fundraising mission
benefiting kids in post-pandemic India.
“Heroes for Life,” Child Rights and You CRY America’s annual gala series,
returned after a two-year pandemic break to honor the organization's U.S.-based
donors and field workers across 30 CRY America-supported projects in villages
and slums throughout India.
The gala series ran from May 14-22, with sold-out events in the San Francisco Bay
Area, San Diego, New York City and Houston, with a virtual event in Seattle. This
year’s fundraising total smashed previous records, raising over $1 million.
CRY America is a 501c3 registered non-profit that supports projects in India and
the U.S. that ensure access to education and health care for underprivileged
children, as well as protection from child labor, early marriage and trafficking.
Galas featured veteran Bollywood actor Vivek Anand Oberoi (“Saathiya,”
Amazon’s Emmy-nominated “Inside Edge”) as celebrity guest who spoke about
the importance of supporting the cause of children. Lalithamma, director of
People’s Organization for Rural Development (PORD), a CRY America-supported
project in Andhra Pradesh shared her work during the pandemic.
The pandemic took a particularly cruel toll among underprivileged communities in
India. With the ongoing lock downs and school closings, child marriage,
trafficking and child labor rates spiked, accompanied by increased incidence of
malnutrition, gaps in learning, and abuse of girl children.

CRY America CEO Shefali Sunderlal noted that project workers were given
special permissions by the Indian government as essential workers during the
pandemic, and they went the extra mile to ensure that challenges faced by their
communities and children were addressed, while CRY America’s donors
maintained their funding support unabated throughout the crisis.
“We had to pivot from our regular plans for the year and get a grasp on what was
happening in the field where our project partners work,” said Shefali at the May 20
New York gala, held at the Taj Pierre.
“Our project workers risked their lives to undertake community awareness
programs on COVID protocols, distribution of PPE kits, and ensure testing and
vaccination efforts across their villages,” she continued.
Sunderlal highlighted CRY America’s model for lasting change, to which
collective, community-driven action is central. She emphasized that the
organization does not create parallel institutions, but rather works with the
government and communities to ensure that public schools, health centers, and
other public social programs and facilities remain functional and truly benefit
underprivileged communities.
Other innovations implemented by CRY America projects included “bridge
schools”-supplemental classes to ensure children were caught up on missed course
work; home/community kitchen gardens to improve nutrition among children, and
the organization of “children’s collectives,” where girls and boys meet to talk
about pandemic-related anxieties, hopes and future plans.
“Most of my heroes have worn saris – [CRY America partner] Lalithamma is a
living example of that – she is calling me a celebrity, but in my heart, I want to
celebrate her!” Vivek Anand Oberoi, Bollywood star and celebrity guest
Oberoi brought star power and charisma to the CRY Gala event series, making his
grand entrance nightly with a bevy of dancers and select hit songs from his 20-year
film career. In addition to making a special address to the attendees, he led the

evening’s pledge sessions, telling stories about the importance of philanthropy and
appreciating the donors with personal thanks and photo ops.
Oberoi cited his mother’s dedication as a palliative care worker as inspiration for
his long track record of philanthropy, which he termed as “karmic investment.”
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of awards in my career, and I appreciate that
recognition because that’s what I do,” said Oberoi, summing up. “But to me, the
kids I have helped survive cancer and rescued from child marriage are my living,
breathing wards – the best kind! Because that inspires me to do more, and gives me
a purpose beyond what I do.”
“The world is full of two kinds of people-those who need help, and those who can
help,” said Oberoi, closing his New York City remarks. “Everytime you find
yourself among those who can help, you need to count your blessings. Heroes like
Lalithamma and CRY do all the hard work; we write the checks, and we share in
that karmic capital.”
Lalithamma, Director, People’s Organization for Rural Development, dubbed a
“superhero in a sari” by Oberoi, took the stage nightly to share her story from
growing up as a victim of gender discrimination herself to her work today to
empower girls in her district.
Lalithamma founded PORD in 1992 to focus on girls' education as a means of
preventing early marriage. Her team’s dedication was her strength over the COVID
pandemic, said Lalithamma. Lockdowns and closures produced peripheral ills
affecting children. Through awareness campaigns and supply distributions, PORD
stopped 62 child marriages, and its vaccination drive resulted in zero COVID cases among district children. Lalithamma shared the compelling journey of Revathi, a child who benefited from PORD’s help. Just as Lalithamma herself had been discriminated against decades prior, Revathi had been forced to drop out of school by her grandmother in order to assist with work. Through a series of meetings, Lalithamma and her team
convinced her grandmother to allow Revathi to return to school. On careen rolled, she became interested in educating other girls about menstrual hygiene, a traditionally taboo subject in the conservative villages. Recognizing her leadership

potential, Lalithamma mentored her to become as killed public speaker. Revathi’s
outreach work netted her a Youth Changemaker Award from the Ashoka
Foundation, and her newfound confidence fuelled her pursuit of a college degree in
technology. Today, Revathi works at (India technology company) Wipro, and
continues her hygiene programs among girls.

Asno galawouldbecompletewithoutglitz,music,anddance,theseriesfeaturedBollywooddanceperformances,musicalnumbersandcomediansacrossthecities.Allgalas endedwithgueststakingtothe dance floor in celebration to the jubilant beats of current and classic Bollywood hits.

CRYAmerica’s“votesofconfidence”towarditstime-testedmodelforchangeandtheimpactcreatedforchildren came thanks to the hundreds of guests who attended and their generous donations.

Bay Area Gala Guests, Palo Alto Crowne Plaza, May 14, 2022

“CRY’sdonorsandvolunteersareour‘HeroesforLife’whoensurethatourworkforchildrencancontinueand grow,” said Sunderlal.

(Press Release)