The charity event was attended by Radio and TV personalities; international dignitaries; and DC metropolitan area socialites.
Bethesda, MD – The WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF) hosted its first annual Achievement Awards, GALA, on June 2, 2016, at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. The evening was a huge success, highlighting global philanthropic superstars. Throughout the night, honorees were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in giving back to the community.
Notable honorees included Raj Gupta, former CEO of Rohm and Haas; Prof. Kannan Moudgalya, founder of “Spoken Tutorial,” a program that helped to improve the employment potential of underprivileged students by teaching them IT skills; Dr. Uma Koduri, an advocate for Childhood Obesity Awareness Campaign; and Dr. Thakor Patel, founder of SEVAK Foundation. The event was sold out with 250 guests present. Ambassador of India Hon. Arun Singh and Ambassador of Mauritius Hon. Sorooj Phokeer was amongst the distinguished guests.
One of the most powerful moments in the evening was when host and Bollywood star Omi Vaidya opened the floor for donation pledges, with the goal to garner generous donations from the evening’s guests. This pledge campaign, with the support of numerous benefactors, raised over $200,000 by the night’s end. A memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was also signed between the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) and WGF pledging to support the Veteran Obesity Awareness Campaign in one hundred veteran facilities throughout the continental U.S.The night did not solely focus on the honorees; the event was also a fundraiser to raise money for charity.
There were several auctions in the evening, including high-end Indian fashions by designer Vanita Kumar, custom designs donated by the Dream’s in Motion group, dinner trips, and weekend getaways to Goa, India. The event also featured an insightful keynote address by Scott Case, founding CTO of Priceline.com, and a stunning performance by the Natananjali Dance School.
“On behalf of the foundation, I would like to thank our guests for supporting our mission to bring a change in the rural communities and making the fundraiser a success. We appreciate your generous donations and support.” Says Hiten Ghosh, President of WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF). He adds, “Funds raised the night of the gala will go towards active and future projects in the six focus areas of the foundation.”
About WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF)
WHEELS Global Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides technological solutions to global challenges in its six tracks; water, health, education, energy, lifestyles, and sustainability. WHEELS successes include providing clean drinking water to more than 10,000 villagers, health care monitoring on diseases like diabetes and hypertension to more than 60,000 villagers, and improving sanitary health by building toilets for individual families.
