Sankara Eye Foundation hosts Charity Fashion Show to Raise Funds for Eye Center

Sankara Eye Foundation’s NY Chapter will host a benefit Gala Thursday Oct 7, 2010. “Scratch the Surface: A Benefit Gala” is a charity fundraiser at Greenhouse, from 6:30pm to 11:30pm. Guests will enjoy Ethnic Wear with a Flair: a Fashion show by Gurdiya Couture and music by DJ Karma.

Gurdiya Couture, the brainchild of designer Prabhleen Bindra, will be showcasing its sleek, sexy, and sophisticated new fusion line for men and women. Coming from a Punjabi background the team at Gurdiya Couture is excited to be partnering with Sankara Eye Foundation to raise money for the Punjab Hospital in Ludhiana, India. With the ultimate aim of comfort and fun, Gurdiya Couture wants you to experience the integration of Indian culture with a mainstream attitude, as you support fashion for a cause. No cover but a donation of $20 is suggested.

Actor, producer, model, TV host, emcee and entreprenuer – Obaid Kadwani will be walking the ramp for Gurdiya Couture in support of Sankara Eye Foundation. Obaid is the host of numerous shows on “Namaste America,” and has also walked the ramp for many designers and events including Bollywood Fashion Awards, the International Pakistan Cultural Ministry Fashion show in DC, and shows for various other designers.

Also walking the ramp as celebrity guest will be Bikram Singh, the embodiment of Punjabi folk music in the new millennium. Bikram whose feet are firmly planted in the Punjabi soil, has conquered the North American, European, and Asian charts with his golden voice, masterful lyrics, and urban attitude. Bikram brings the folk roots of his people’s music to the forefront of global culture. After hits like ‘Kawan,’ ‘Tip Top,’ ‘Tere Nain Nashiley,’ and the most recent ‘Aaja Ni Billo,’ Bikram Singh will be adding a new first to his list of accomplishments, as he walks the ramp wearing Gurdiya Couture to support the cause of the Punjabi Hospital.

Sankara Eye Foundation’s Project Punjab initiative is supported by media partners including Jus Punjabi, Crossings TV, PTC Punjabi and The Indian Express. Sankara has also garnered support from a long list of community partners including Indus Tuesday, Gurdiya Couture, Deejay Karma, Network of Indian Professionals North America (NetIP NA), South Asian Bar Association -NY (SABA-NY), Zyndagi.com, City Saheli, Dew Drop Special Events, KalArt, Chocal8kiss, Kanvar Singh, and The Sikh Art & Film Foundation.

The Sikh Art & Film Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to creating awareness of and pride in the diversity, culture and history of the Sikhs, as well as the contributions of Sikhs in American society. Sankara is proud to be their Charity of Choice for the second year in a row. By way of this platform, both Sikh Art & Film Foundation and Sankara Eye Foundation hope to collaborate in raising awareness and funds for the Sankara Eye Hospital, Punjab. Visit http://www.sikharts.com to learn more about the Sikh Art & Film Festival to be hosted on October 22-23, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about, and support this year’s charity of choice: Sankara Eye Foundation and its Punjab initiative.

About Sankara Eye Foundation
Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) is a Charity Navigator 4 star ranked Charity and a registered 501(c)(3) organization in the USA with the mission of achieving Vision 20/20 by the year 2020. India is sadly home to over 45 million visually handicapped, of which about 12 million are totally blind. Poverty further deepens their plight as there is limited, if any access to preventative or curative care. As such, SEF’s goal is to provide free, quality eye care at the doorsteps of rural India. The primary cause of blindness is untreated cataracts, which can be easily cured using existing medical techniques which cost just $30 USD. One would think such care would be more widely available but sadly it is not. Through SEF’s work with Sankara Eye Care Institutions India, over half a million surgeries to date have been performed. Since 1998, the annual rate has increased nearly ten-fold to about 100,000 free surgeries. These life-saving surgeries not only restore vision, but reinstate a person’s ability to be self-sufficient, to support themselves, their families, and their communities.

History and Impact
Since its inception, 8 hospitals have been opened and are a source or medical respite and much more in their communities. In fact, doctors choose to volunteer at our hospitals as we utilize state-of-the-art technology. Sankara fosters growth in neighborhoods as young adults are trained as lab technicians and given a chance to further their skill-set and economically support their families. We are currently in the process of raising money for our ninth hospital which will be located in Ludhiana, India under an initiative called Project Punjab. Sankara not only brings much needed vision care, but also supports economic and educational development in neighboring communities by providing jobs and vocational training; thereby, contributing to the sustainable growth of individuals and communities at large.

Global Presence
While Sankara Eye Foundation has strong roots in India, it has been asked by the World Health Organization to teach is model to 20 other developing nations such as Cambodia, Seychelles, and Nigera, as the Sankara Model has proven sustainable in India. Sankara Eye Foundation, USA is a leader in the fight against curable blindness in India and is recognized on the world’s stage as one of the leading grassroots and rural community outreach programs in the world.

What YOU Can Do!
Nationwide, there are over 700 volunteers who work daily to raise awareness for this cause and much needed funds to support these various hospitals in India. Today, technology enables us to make life-changing contributions to the lives of others right from the comfort of our own homes. Many SEF volunteers have set-up causes on www.yourcause.com , enabling them to set a fundraising goal, share the cause with their friends/family, and automatically receive donations. Last year, over $50,000 was raised just like this! These donations go 100% to SEF. If you’d like to sign up, please visit www.yourcause.com and join the movement!

Contact
Kanika Marwaha
Sankara Eye Foundation NYC Coordinator
Kanika@GiftofVision.org

Sejal Dave, MPH
Regional Director: Tri-State
Sankara Eye Foundation, USA
sejaldave@giftofvision.org

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Username (required) :
Email (required) :
Web Site :
Comment :

CAPTCHA Code *