American India Foundation's annual Chicago Gala raises over $950,000
A crowd of more than 500 prominent business leaders, elected officials, and community organizers gathered at Chicago's Union Station on Nov. 8 to celebrate at the Chicago Chapter of the American India Foundation's ninth annual Chicago Gala, "Bow Ties and Bangles."
The benefit raised funds and awareness for AIF's Learning and Migration Program, which educates and nurtures children in areas of high seasonal migration.
In attendance were notable leaders including Congressman Pete Sessions, Chair of the House Rules Committee; and His Excellency Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu, Deputy Chief of India Mission, Washington D.C. Also present were the 2014 gala co-chairs including: Daniel Capozzi, senior vice president, Discover Financial Services; Michael Fassnacht, president, FCB Chicago; Lubanina and Zain Raj; Glenn Schneider, CIO, Discover Financial Services; and Miles D. White, chairman and CEO, Abbott.
The evening kicked off with a fabulous cocktail hour where guests had the opportunity to bid on an array of sports memorabilia, fantastic pieces of art, and unique Chicago experiences.
The master of ceremonies, comedian Anish Shah, welcomed the evening's guests and introduced Dr. Bulbul and Vimal Bahuguna, this year's gala chairs and AIF board members.
Continuing the evening's program, the Bahugunas introduced Swati and Siddharth (Bobby) Mehta who received the Leader in Philanthropy Award for their decade long commitment to AIF and its fundraising efforts.
Shalabh Kumar, chairman and CEO of AVG Group, was the night's honoree. An author, public policy adviser, generous and socially-conscious philanthropist who is one of the nation's leading inventors, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators and management professionals, Kumar was honored for his work with various organizations that support life-changing programs in India.
Later in the evening, guests were able to further their support by participating in the Save a Child Pledge Drive. Thanks to the unprecedented generosity of the evening's gala co-chairs and sponsors, including Abbott, Discover Financial Services, FCB Chicago, McKinsey & Company, the Talwar Family Foundation, Zain Raj and the charitable donations from attendees, the event raised $960,000 to improve the lives of underprivileged citizens in India.
About AIF
The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Its programming seeks to achieve gender equity through developing inclusive models that focus on and empower girls and women. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a request from Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 2.3 million of India's poor and aims to reach 5 million by 2018. With offices in New York and California, six chapters across the U.S., and India operations centered in New Delhi, AIF is transforming lives across 23 states of India while addressing these issues on a regional, country, and international scale. President Bill Clinton serves as honorary chair and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen chairs the advisory council. Learn more at www.AIF.org.
To join the AIF Chicago community, contact chicago@aif.org for more information on how you can help accelerate AIF's mission of catalyzing social and economic change in India.