A fundraiser was held on April 22 at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison by Hope4Spandana, a nonprofit charitable organization to help underprivileged children in India diagnosed with autism. Sharwani Kota, who organized the event, said that about 800 people attended and more than $10,000 was raised at the event.
Many New Jersey dignitaries such as Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Monmouth, Middlesex); state Sen. Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex); former Deputy Speaker Upendra Chivukula; former Edison Mayor Jun Choi; Satish Mehtani, chairman of International Mission of Mercy; Democratic president of Morris County Vin Gopal; Edison council members Sapna Shah and Ajay Patil; and community leader Peter Kothari all attended and were very supportive of the organization and the event.
The event lasted for three and a half hours with music, instrumental performances and dance programs performed by various professionals. During the event Sharwani gave a presentation about the organization and the schools adopted by them in India. As part of the event, Hope4Spandana honored Satish Mehtani with an Outstanding Humanitarian Award for his unparalleled service in helping Nepal earthquake victims.
The Hope4Spandana organization was founded two years ago by Sharwani Kota, who is a junior at J.P. Stevens. She recruited 45 other youngsters from various school districts in New Jersey. They all work to advocate, spread awareness about autism, and raise funds for research and care through flash mob dances in New Jersey and New York.
The group has been working on this cause for more than two years by performing at various senior citizen homes, community centers and public locations such as malls and historical places to raise funds. The organization is affiliated with Saint Peter’s University Hospital — a well-known organization that uses its funds for research and care and family support for autism. The funds raised by Hope4Spandana are distributed between Saint Peter’s Hospital for research and to support the schools in India.
Hope4Spandana has adopted two schools in India that have more than 70 children in each school diagnosed with a spectrum of autism disorders. Unfortunately, these are all street kids abandoned by their own families. There are extreme cases where family members have beaten the children, tied them up and tried to kill them because they don’t want them. The children were brought together and provided with better therapy, food, care and shelter.
Unfortunately, now, one of the school’s landowners is asking the children to immediately vacate, and more than 70 youngsters will be out on the streets by July. The mission of Hope4Spandana is to raise $50,000 for this cause by July. Sharwani and other children from the organization are working hard to raise the funds to provide them a permanent roof. So far around $40,000 has been amassed, including the funds raised at last month’s event.
Hope4Spandana is planning more awareness events such as a walk, seminars and flash mobs. Visit www.hope4spandana.org for more information.
