Maryland Human Resources Secretary Sam Malhotra, hotelier Pramod Amin honored.
AB Wire
RICHMOND, Virginia: The second annual gala hosted by the Richmond chapter of the American India Foundation raised $126,000 for the organization’s various philanthropic initiatives in India. Most of the money was raised through sponsorships, donations, pledge drive and auctions.
Maryland Secretary of Human Resources Sam Malhotra and prominent local hotelier Pramod C. Amin were honored at the event, held at the historic Science Museum of Virginia in the state capital on November 7, 2015.
“This has been a great honor for me not only because of what I am doing, but [because of what the] AIF is doing on a daily basis,” Malhotra, the first Indian American to be appointed to a cabinet position in the neighboring Maryland, told The American Bazaar. “It is helping bridge two of the greatest democracies together and the work that’s been done that is impacting [people in India]. In fact, almost as of today, about 2.5 million lives have been altered by AIF’s work. So just being a small part of that… makes me feel very, very honored.”
In his remarks, Malhotra urged the guests to also support “your own personal communities.” He added, “Those of us who are truly blessed have an opportunity [by engaging in philanthropy] to make a difference, not just in India, but here as well.”
It was a theme also echoed by another speaker, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia Levar Marcus Stoney. The first African American to hold the secretary of commonwealth post — and also the first member of his family to graduate from high school and college — Stoney urged the attendees to “do great things here in the commonwealth of Virginia because we need you and we appreciate your contributions.”
Amin, who has developed a number of hotels, shopping centers and other real estate properties over the past three decades, said he was “amazed by the work the American India Foundation has done in India and we hope that we will continue to support” the AIF.
“He is the one who came with one suitcase and less than a hundred dollars,” gala chair Sunita Gupta said. “But now he has 36 hotels — multiply that by the number of jobs that have been created!”
The AIF Richmond chapter chair Sanjay Mittal praised both the honorees. “Sam Malhotra and Pramod C. Amin — they were fantastic,” he said. “The AIF takes efforts to honor the right people who can inspire others to do bigger and better things in their lives.”
Among the 250 who attended the gala were a number of prominent political, business and community leaders from Virginia and the East Coast. “We had people from Richmond, Washington, DC, and Maryland, Seattle and Atlanta—throughout America,” Gupta said.
“Special guests” included Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director John Boland, Morris, Manning & Martin L.L.P Partner Chris Peterson, Alyx Technologies Chairman Sudhakar Shenoy and Keyanna Conner, an aide to Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA. Local community leader T.K. Somanath, AIF Senior Director Venkatesh Raghavendra, and Amitabh Sharma, the founding chair of the organization’s Atlanta Leadership Council, were also present.
“Since the inauguration of the Richmond chapter in August last year, there have been a lot of supporters, especially Indian Americans, who have backed the AIF’s vision and mission in the Richmond area,” Mittal said. “As the AIF Richmond chapter chair, I cannot be happier looking at the crowd today, and the overwhelming support we got from them.”
Since it was founded 15 years ago, AIF has invested more than $100 million, impacting the lives of nearly 2.5 million underprivileged in India, according to the organization. It works in 23 Indian states and has partnerships with nearly 250 organizations in India.
“I feel that poverty, alienation and lack of opportunities, they are real enemies in our world,” Nupa Agarwal, a gala co-chair, said. “And when you have those things, it creates a void where fundamentalism will come in. It will create a lot of problems in general. AIF is a wonderful organization that serves as a mechanism for social change, and that’s why I am involved with it.”
Indian American Bollywood actor Omi Vaidya was the master of ceremonies.