Sankara Nethralaya USA Classical Dance Fundraiser: A Night of Art, Generosity, and Impact.
On November 17th, 2024, Sankara Nethralaya USA (SN USA) organized a remarkable classical dance program in Atlanta, with the goal of raising funds for a noble cause that will restore the vision of underserved patients. Thanks to the dedication and generosity of all involved, the event raised an astounding USD $1,300,000 with which 20,000 cataract surgeries can be done.
The success of the event was made possible by the active participation of four renowned classical dance academies from Atlanta and about 100 talented students who graced the stage with their performances. Each dance received roaring applause from the audience, a true testament to the dedication, discipline, and artistic excellence displayed by all performers.
The Performances:
1) Theme: Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari
Academy of Kuchipudi Dance Guru: Sasikala Penumarthi
Number of Dancers: 17
2) Theme: Saranam Ayyappa
Kalaivani Dance Academy Guru: Padmaja Kelam
Number of Dancers: 13
3) Theme: Naada Brahma Sankara
SriVaani Kuchipudi Academy Guru: Revathi Komanduri
Number of Dancers: 13
5) Theme: Panchabhuta Prasasthi
Nataraja Natyanjali Kuchipudi Academy Guru: Neelima Gaddamanugu
Number of Dancers: 50
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the academies, Gurus, and students who contributed to making this event a grand success. The evening was a celebration of not only art but also the spirit of community and giving, with every dancer and volunteer playing a vital role in raising funds for those who need it most.
Felicitations started with sacred mantras from priest Pavan Kumar Kristapati from Hindu Temple of Atlanta seeking the blessings of God for all the volunteers and donors who are working for the noble cause of restoring the vision of poor patients.
It is with deep respect and understanding that we acknowledge the absence of Mega donor Prasada Reddy Katamreddy and his wife, Sobha Reddy. Unfortunately, due to the recent passing of Prasada Reddy’s beloved mother, the couple could not be present to join us. At this time of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with them and their family.
We sincerely pray for the Sadgathi (peace and liberation) of the departed soul, and may their family find strength and solace in this difficult moment. We hope for their speedy recovery from this loss. Though they could not attend, their unwavering support and incredibly generous contribution of $500,000 continue to inspire us all.
This generous contribution supports 11 eye camps and establishes one Mobile Eye Surgical Unit (MESU) in the most needed place in India. Sankara Nethralaya USA announced Prasada Reddy as a Brand Ambassador. Bala Reddy Indurti and Madhavi Indurti received the recognition on behalf of Prasada Reddy and Sobha Reddy.
Dr. Kishore Chivukula, member of the SN USA Board of Advisors, made a generous contribution of $100,000. This significant donation will further support the organization’s efforts to bring essential eye care services to those who need them most, ensuring that thousands of patients can receive the vision-restoring surgeries they deserve.
A heartfelt thank you is also due to Dr. Jagdish Sheth, a member of the SN USA Board of Advisors and a Padma Bhushan Awardee, for delivering an inspiring speech that moved all in attendance.
Dr. Sheth’s unwavering support for the cause was further demonstrated through his generous contribution of $12,500, which will sponsor a MESU Adopt-A-Village eye camp. This donation will enable hundreds of poor patients to receive sight-restoring surgeries, bringing hope to those in need.
T. Ramachandra Reddy from Augusta GA pledged USD $100,000 to support 8 eye camps and successfully completed one eye camp in Nandi Vaddeman village of Nagar Kurnool District in Telangana.
SN USA President Bala Reddy Indurti and Executive Vice President Moorthy Rekapalli explained how the MESU operations are currently going on in India and the future vision of expanding this service to entire India to reach the rural remote villages to serve poor patients, who can't afford to go to towns and cities.
We are honored to have had the presence of Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, Consulate General of India, who graciously accepted our invitation to be the Chief Guest. He presented plaques to the participants and organizers as a token of appreciation for their dedication and support in making this event a grand success.
Throughout the evening, everyone expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the leadership and vision of Bala Reddy Indurti, President of SN USA. Under his guidance, the event not only raised significant funds but also successfully raised awareness for this noble cause.
Bala’s tireless efforts in leading from the front and motivating others to join in this mission were central to the success of the event. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, all the organizers congratulated Bala on receiving the prestigious Sankara Ratna award. His unwavering dedication to the cause of restoring vision and improving the lives of underprivileged individuals is truly inspiring.
Unconditional support was received from SN USA EVP Moorthy Rekapalli, Trustees Srini Vangimalla, Meher Chand Lanka, Raj Aila, Sridhar Julapally, Neelima Gaddamanugu, Dr. Madhuri Namuduri, Sports Committee Chair Ramesh Chaparala, establish MESU committee member Dr. Kishore Reddy Rasamallu.
Atlanta Chapter Vice President Rajesh Tadikamalla along with Chapter Leads Chinmay Dasmohapatra, Hemanth Varma, Penmetsa, Sudhir Patro, and Vijay Garlapati spearheaded the effort to make this event a grand success. Food arrangements, all the required coordination work to organize the event was taken care of by this team and got a huge applause from the audience for their efforts.
Two MESU teams have been operating for the last 15 years. One based in Chennai and the other based in Jharkhand with the help of Tata Trust. Recently, Sankara Nethralaya started a 3rd Mobile Eye Surgical Unit based in Hyderabad and it has successfully organized 13 Ten day eye camps in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Fourth unit will be starting in Puttaparthi in March 2025 and fifth unit will be starting in Vizag in August 2025. Each unit serves the area within a 500 km radius from its base location. These units will cover roughly 1/3rd of Indian rural villages once they start functioning.
SNUSA Founder & President Emeritus SV Acharya, and Board of Advisors Leela Krishnamurthy, Dr. Raj Modi, Anand Babu Dasari, Bhaskar Ganti, Dr. Shankar Krishnan provided their guidance and best wishes to the Atlanta team.
Atlanta SN Adopt-A-Village sponsors Bala Reddy Indurti, Srini Reddy Vangimalla, Dr. Madhuri Namuduri, Meher Chand Lanka, Rajasekhar Aila, Neelima Gaddamanugu shared their experience about how these MESU camps restored vision of hundreds of patients in their native places and how gratifying that experience was.
Several people came forward and sponsored the MESU Adopt-A-Village program to restore the vision of indigent patients in and around their native place. Adopt-A-Village sponsorship is $12,500 for the places that are within 300 Kilometers of base hospital & $15,000 for the places that are within 300 - 500 Kilometers from Hyderabad, Chennai, Jamshedpur, Puttaparthi.
SNUSA Atlanta team felicitated Adopt-A-Village 10 day eye camp sponsors: Raghavendra Reddy Sunki, Dr. Sadasiva Reddy, Murli Reddy, Chandrasekhar Marepally, Dr. B. Krishna Mohan, A. Jalandhar Reddy, Chimata Srinivas, Dr. Uday Tata, Uday Bhaskar Kotte, LAX Parthasarathi, Thirumal Reddy Kumbum, Banu Ramkrishnan, KG Venkatraman, Sridhar Reddy Thikkavarapu, Lokesh Krishnaswamy, Adi Morreddy, Karunakar Asireddy, Venkat Chundi, Dr. Praveena Vajja, Prasanna Kumar, Venkat Kannan, Dr. Madhav Durbha, Neelam Jayanth, Dr. Veena Bhat, Sathish Kumar Segu, Srini Gupta, Srini Reddy Vangimalla, Rajasekhar Aila, Ramesh Chaparala, Rajesh Tadikamalla, Dr. Kishore Reddy Rasamallu, Dr. Jagdish Sheth, Paddy Rao Atmuri, Shivani Nagpal, T. Ramachandra Reddy, and Cheemarla Family.
SN USA President Bala Indurti explained about the upcoming MESU projects, how much area they cover and how the Trustees and Volunteers are working tirelessly towards eradicating preventable blindness from India by doing fundraising events in different cities. Huge applause was received from the audience for the efforts of SN USA towards restoring the vision for poor patients.
Special thanks to SN USA Atlanta team - Moorthy Rekapalli, Neelima Gaddamanugu, Meher Lanka, Srini Reddy Vangimalla, Upendra Rachupally, Dr. Madhuri Namuduri, Rajasekhar Aila, Suresh Vemulamada, Sridhar Rao Julapally, Rajesh Tadikamalla, Ramesh Chaparala, and Dr. Kishore Reddy Rasamallu - who put countless hours into making this program a grand success.
Dr. Narasimha Reddy Urimindi (NRU) and SN USA Secretary Shyam Appali were the Masters of the Ceremony and did an excellent job in explaining about Sankara Nethralaya and the classical dance performances.
SN USA organizers came from different cities of the USA: Shyam Appali from Los Angeles; Dr. Reddy Urimindi from Dallas; Vamsi Krishna Eruwaram, Adi Morreddy, Rekha, Srini Guptha, and Dheeraj Pola from Phoenix; Dr. Jagannath Vedula, Karun Reddy, and Lavanya Reddy from Austin TX; and Chandra Moulii from Milwaukee.
SNUSA Atlanta Team felicitated the following community leaders: Dr. Shankar Krishnan, Dr. Sujatha Reddy, Srinivasa Chandu, Rajeev Menon, Dr. Paul Lopez, Subash Razdan, Antony Thaliath, and Veena Rao (NRI Pulse).
SNUSA Team felicitated Atlanta singers Phani Dokka, Ram Durvasula, Srinivas Durgam, Sandeep Kowtha, Durga Gora, Srivalli Sridhar, Shilpa Uppuluri, Usha Mocherla, and Shanti Medicherla for their continued support for presenting classical light music songs to virtual TV programs. This will help SNUSA to reach many satellite chapters through virtual programs.
SNUSA Felicitated Prashant Kolliparra ( Bytegraph ) for excellent AV and Photography.
SN USA EVP Moorthy Rekapalli gave vote of thanks to one and all who have contributed to make this event a grand success.
Please contribute generously at SankaraNethralayaUSA.org or SankaraNethralaya.org (to contribute in India) to restore the vision of underserved patients.
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