2013
03/18/2013 - The Perlman Music Program Cocktails, Dinner and a Chamber Music Concert in Palm Beach
03/15/2013 - Asia Week New York Kick-off Reception at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,
03/12/2013 - Third Annual Fountain House Associates Spring Breakfast: “Between The Sheets”
03/05/2013 - NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER’S FACES GALA HONORING LEON CHARNEY RAISED $4.5 MILLION
02/23/2013 - "I Have A Voice" fundraiser for Gigi's PLAYHOUSE
02/23/2013 - Eleventh Annual “Thanksgiving in February” Feeds over 500 of New York’s Needy
02/21/2013 - The French Heritage Society's Annual Palm Beach Gala Dinner
02/21/2013 - 24th Annual Gala of Heart & Soul Charitable Fund Auction at Christie’s
02/21/2013 - Eva Longoria Hosts Benefit for “Food Chains” Documentary - Exposes Exploitation in Am’s Farm Labor
02/13/2013 - Verdura hosts a fundraiser for“The Michael Feinstein American Songbook Initiative”
02/13/2013 - Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery, a benefit preview for the Fund for Armenian Relief
02/08/2013 - 56th Annual Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach
02/07/2013 - Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery benefit preview for the Fund for Armenian Relief
02/06/2013 - All Star Orchestra’s Preview Screening of their New Classical Music and On-line Education Television
01/29/2013 - Urban Greenwalk
01/23/2013 - The Perlman Music Program Fourth Charity Wine Auction
01/20/2013 - Budapest Festival Orchestra
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7th Annual Southern California Gala
12/05/2010 - By Los Angeles, CA

7th Annual Southern California Gala

At its 7th Annual Southern California Gala, the American India Foundation honored world-renowned filmmaker and director Shekhar Kapur for his commitment to bringing international awareness to persistent social issues in India through the cinema.

Hosted by Hollywood stars Janina Gavankar and Kunal Nayyar, the AIF Wheel Power Gala attracted more than 425 guests, including entertainment executives and a star-studded lineup of celebrities including Mallika Sherawat and the cast of
NBC’s Outsourced – Rebecca Hazelwood, Surina Jindal, Diedrich Bader, Pippa Black, Sascha Dhawan, Rizwan Manji, and Parvesh Cheena. Joined by business and community leaders, guests enjoyed fine dining and entertainment at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey.

The Annual Wheel Power Southern California Gala raised more than $425,000 to fund AIF's programs that accelerate social and economic change in India. A substantial portion of the money raised at the event, which included a silent auction, raffle, and pledge drive, will be allocated toward supporting AIF’s innovative microfinance initiative, the Rickshaw Sangh, which has enabled some 12,500 rickshaw drivers of India to dramatically improve their livelihoods by owning their vehicles and accessing social benefits.

The Rickshaw Sangh addresses an underlying cause of poverty and helps formalize and build dignity for what is a marginalized profession for some 8 million drivers in India. By providing rickshaw drivers with a comprehensive package of services and benefits including access to micro-credit to purchase their own vehicle, entrepreneurship development, and social entitlements such as insurance, identity cards, and licenses, AIF addresses systemic issues and helps improve the livelihoods of rickshaw drivers and their families.

Mr. Kapur was presented with the first ever American India Foundation Cultural Leadership Award. In addition to garnering Academy awards recently on the Hollywood stage, Mr. Kapur has enjoyed equal success through his filmmaking
in India that has helped to bring social awareness to the challenges facing India to worldwide attention. Special guest Mr. Sanford Panitch, President of Fox International, provided introductory remarks and Mr. B.U. Patel, President of Tarsadia Hotels, Gala Co-Chair and AIF Trustee, presented Mr. Kapur with the award.

Photos By: Rob Fadtke


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