Bidisha Roy

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): On June 9, over a hundred Indian Americans gathered at the Taj Pierre Hotel in Manhattan for the annual CRY America Charity gala event to celebrate the rights of children in New York. The evening was very special as celebrity guest Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal joined CRY America to support the cause & amplify the voices of underprivileged children. The annual event witnessed high profile guests come together to support the cause of children in distress.

Speaking at the event, Shefali Sunderlal, president of CRY America said: “Only 54 percent of children complete their education in India due to obstacles such as child labor, child marriage, and distance from schools and gender discrimination. With the support of over 20,885 donors and 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has impacted the lives of 660,632 children living across 3,350 villages and slums through support to about 73 Projects in India and USA.”

Addressing the gathering, Arjun Rampal said, “The first thing came in my mind was, am I the right person to advocate for child right? The answer was – Yes. Not only me – everyone. Together we can make the difference.”

Urging people to support CRY America and make a difference in a child’s life, Arjun, a doting father of two daughters, further said, “Only when children are given the right opportunities do they realize their full potential, aim for their dreams and achieve them. Raising awareness and fund support to CRY is a step forward in ensuring that children get these opportunities and a chance at a healthy, successful life. I am honored to be involved with CRY.”

Apart from raising awareness for this worthy cause, it was a memorable evening with a bit of everything – dinner, cocktails, Bollywood entertainment, Skype conversation with CRY India members, a trailer show of Arjun Rampal’s upcoming movie “Daddy” which is scheduled to release on July 21, 2017. The highlight of the evening was a live auction of items to raise funds. The auction was worth watching as Arjun took it to a new height with his humor and wit. And it was memorable for Arjun fans, especially ladies, who got the rare chance to pose and click with their teenage crush.

(Watch at www.theindianpanorama.news, the video of Arjun Rampal’s interview)