Past Projects:
2016
Last year, KRHTPA has chose to sponsor the Gandhi Institute and The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative. The Gandhi institute is a non-profit located in the city of Rochester. This non-profit gives shelter to children with abusive homes and protects them from drugs, gangs, and violence. Additionally, The Gandhi institute goes to many schools around the Rochester area and teaches about empathy, kindness, respect, and etc.
The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative was created by the NFL Super Bowl champion, Ronald Williams as a comprehensive mentoring program that assists hundreds of middle and high school youth in the Greater Rochester Area to become more positive and productive citizens.
"The donation will fund activities and educational experiences for hundreds of at-risk middle and high school students. 'What KRHTPA has accomplished over the last seven years has been nothing short of amazing,' said Roland Williams, founder of The Champion Academy. 'Watching these talented and community-minded students in action, reminds me why the future of this region is bright. The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative is grateful for the contribution and honored to be a part of the KRHTPA legacy.'" -Veronica Wilson, Vice President of Partnerships at Champions Academy.
The KRHTPA 2016 team included: Rohan Gupta, Sajan Deol, Serena Sanon, Raaga Kannan, Kanhai Amin, Anoop Sankura, Kaitlyn Gelb, Jeevan Deol, Anisha Sathasivam, and Aruna Ganeshan.
2015:
In 2015, KRHTPA raised $40,000 for the Flaum Eye Institute's Glasses for Kids and L.V. Prasad Eye Institute's Child Blindness Prevention. We also received the Cuminale Award from the Center of Youth in 2015 due to our dedication to helping other children.
Flaum Eye Institute’s Glasses for Kids:
The Flaum Eye Institute's Glasses for Kids provides free exams and glasses to Rochester Area children that need it. Greater Rochester City School District Students who have failed a vision test at schools get a free eye exam and glasses if need be. There are many preschool and school age children who require glasses in underserved communities that do not receive the basic eye screening that they need.. The Flaum Eye Institute is able to provide this service for free to a child for every $100 donated.
L.V. Prasad Eye Institute’s Childhood Blindness Prevention
The L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has developed into a premier, world renowned ophthalmic institution in India with excellence in education, patient care, and research. This foundation is still based in Rochester and is currently overseen by Dr. Y. M. Jay, founder of Brighton Dental.The LVPEI faculty is appointed as adjunct faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology of the Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester. LVPEI has over 100 centers across India and has collaborations supported by the World Health Organization, Lions Clubs International Organization, UK Welcome Trust, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, among others, that reach 4 billion people worldwide.
LVPEI has begun a vision screening and care program for underserved children around the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, India. From 2016-2017, community health workers and staff from LVPEI screened 25,000 children in need from urban and rural areas in and around the city of Vijayawada for vision loss and eye disease. For those who screen positive, LVPEI provided glasses, visual aids, medical, and surgical care free of cost to the child. Approximately 5,000 children received such care and KRHTPA is proud to have raised money in support.
The 2015 KRHTPA team consisted of Nidhi Dontula, Rohan Gupta, Srihari Chari, Suhina Patel, Aditi Mehta, Kaitlyn Gelb, Parth Patel, Raaga Kannan, Radhika Amin, Sajan Deol, Sean Gelb, Serena Sanon, Shreya Mishra, and Shweta Koul
2014:
In 2014 "Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts" chose to raise money for two charities. The first one was FREE: Friends of Educational Excellence, and the second charity was CHIRPS: Cleft Health in India by Rochester Plastic Surgeons.
That year, during our banquet on November 15th, thanks to the generosity of all our donors and supporters, we set another KRHTPA milestone by raising over $ 40,000 for the charities in one evening.
A couple of months after the banquet, FREE informed us that they had not continuing their contract with the City of Rochester School District and therefore did not need the funds raised for 2015.
KRHTPA decided to redirect the contributions intended for FREE to two charities we had supported in the past years, and decided to donate $ 10,000 each to the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester and Bivona Child Advocacy Center in addition to the $ 20,000 donated to CHIRPS.
At a classy and intimate event arranged by the URMC on the 26th of February, 2015, KRHTPA members handed over the check for $ 20,000 to CHIRPS. This event was covered by Channel 8. On June 12th, 2015, KRHTPA held a ceremony to present the checks of $ 10,000 each to Crisis Nursery and Bivona at the ICC.
The 2014 team consisted of fourteen dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Srihari Chari, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Arundhati Vyas, Suhina Patel, Saagar Menon, Aadi Patel, Serena Sanon, Rohan Gupta, Rohan Pawar, Shweta Koul, and Nidhi Dontula all worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
CHIRPS stands for Cleft Health in India by Rochester Plastic Surgeons. CHIRPS is actually a foundation in collaboration with the University of Rochester established for children in 3rd world countries (such as India) who cannot afford cleft pallete surgery can receive the surgery at no cost.
The mission of the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester is to provide a temporary safe haven for children whose families are in crisis, to provide temporary care for children at risk for abuse or neglect, and to provide families with referrals that will help them resolve difficult situations.
Bivona Child Advocacy Center is a place for children to go after they have been physically or sexually abused. The children may stay at the Bivona facilities until their extensive legal process is finished. Bivona’s belief is that abuse is traumatic enough for children. The legal process that requires them to repeat their story over and over can be even more traumatic. Instead, children go to Bivona, and there the child say their story once. Then a Bivona representative will take care of everything else.
2013:
In 2013, Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts raised money for two charities. The first charity was Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester, and the second charity was Bivona Child Advocacy Center.
The mission of the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester is to provide a safe haven for children whose families are in crisis, to provide temporary care for children at risk for abuse or neglect, and to provide families with referrals that will help them resolve difficult situations.
Bivona Child Advocacy Center is a place for children to go after they have been physically or sexually abused. The children may stay at the Bivona facilities until their extensive legal proccess is finished. Bivona believes that abuse is traumatic enough for children. The legal proccess that requires them to repeat their story over and over can be even more traumatic. As a result, children go to Bivona and there the children say their story once. Then a Bivona representative will take care of everything else.
The 2013 team consisted of ten dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Arundhati Vyas, Sejal Patel, Saagar Menon, Aadi Patel and Rohan Gupta are worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
That year, we managed to break a KRHTPA record by raising over $25,000 to help the children at Bivona Child Advocacy Center, and Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester
“Often we forget how important it is for young people who have resources and supportive adult mentors to put their own interests aside to help others. No youth group is more representative of this energy than our beloved KRHTPA, a group sponsored by the India Community Center, that has continually supported our work at the Crisis Nursery. Their fundraising and friend raising expertise is unmatched, even by some well-organized adult groups. They are sincere and determined and because of their diligence and resolve, they have raised thousands of dollars for our babies, toddlers and children at the Crisis Nursery. We applaud the hard work of KRHTPA as we also celebrate how essential it is to get started on community engagement and volunteerism at an early stage. The center is blessed to have these young people on our side.”
2012:
In 2012, KRHTPA raised funds for Daystar. Daystar is a unique, non-institutional provider of medical daycare services for infants aging between birth to five in the State of New York. Daystar babies suffer from complex medical diagnoses as well as accidents, illnesses, congenital disorder, abuse, or neglect. This organization provides medically-competent and socially-stimulating care to these infants and ensures the health of the Daystar family by providing emotion support and advocacy.
That year's team consisted of ten dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Lauren Gelb, Neha Pawar, Arundhati Vyas, Sejal Patel, and Aadi Patel all worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
Similar to the events in the past, the event raised an astounding $18,000 to benefit Daystar!
2011
This event, which took place on September 17, 2011 at the Indian Community Center (ICC), was to benefit the Crisis Nursery. At this event, Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts (KRHTPA) raised a total of $17,000! The team, mentored by Ambika Sharma, consisted of Sanjana Kumar, Arundhati Vyas, Ashima Sharma, Lauren Gelb, Chandrika Sanapala, Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Neha Pawar, Rina Sherman, Tiffany Nicholas, Barbara Bruce, Shweta Sathasivam, Nikhitha Garapati, Anuja Deore, and Adya Kumar. Many of these committed members plan to come back the next year to raise money for yet another good cause.
2009-2010
In the first two years this organization was put together it raised about $10,000 each year for the Gilda's Club of Rochester. However, as this organization progessed and became more well known, their funds have greatly increased.
Last year, KRHTPA has chose to sponsor the Gandhi Institute and The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative. The Gandhi institute is a non-profit located in the city of Rochester. This non-profit gives shelter to children with abusive homes and protects them from drugs, gangs, and violence. Additionally, The Gandhi institute goes to many schools around the Rochester area and teaches about empathy, kindness, respect, and etc.
The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative was created by the NFL Super Bowl champion, Ronald Williams as a comprehensive mentoring program that assists hundreds of middle and high school youth in the Greater Rochester Area to become more positive and productive citizens.
"The donation will fund activities and educational experiences for hundreds of at-risk middle and high school students. 'What KRHTPA has accomplished over the last seven years has been nothing short of amazing,' said Roland Williams, founder of The Champion Academy. 'Watching these talented and community-minded students in action, reminds me why the future of this region is bright. The Champion Academy Extreme Mentoring & Empowerment Initiative is grateful for the contribution and honored to be a part of the KRHTPA legacy.'" -Veronica Wilson, Vice President of Partnerships at Champions Academy.
The KRHTPA 2016 team included: Rohan Gupta, Sajan Deol, Serena Sanon, Raaga Kannan, Kanhai Amin, Anoop Sankura, Kaitlyn Gelb, Jeevan Deol, Anisha Sathasivam, and Aruna Ganeshan.
2015:
In 2015, KRHTPA raised $40,000 for the Flaum Eye Institute's Glasses for Kids and L.V. Prasad Eye Institute's Child Blindness Prevention. We also received the Cuminale Award from the Center of Youth in 2015 due to our dedication to helping other children.
Flaum Eye Institute’s Glasses for Kids:
The Flaum Eye Institute's Glasses for Kids provides free exams and glasses to Rochester Area children that need it. Greater Rochester City School District Students who have failed a vision test at schools get a free eye exam and glasses if need be. There are many preschool and school age children who require glasses in underserved communities that do not receive the basic eye screening that they need.. The Flaum Eye Institute is able to provide this service for free to a child for every $100 donated.
L.V. Prasad Eye Institute’s Childhood Blindness Prevention
The L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has developed into a premier, world renowned ophthalmic institution in India with excellence in education, patient care, and research. This foundation is still based in Rochester and is currently overseen by Dr. Y. M. Jay, founder of Brighton Dental.The LVPEI faculty is appointed as adjunct faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology of the Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester. LVPEI has over 100 centers across India and has collaborations supported by the World Health Organization, Lions Clubs International Organization, UK Welcome Trust, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, among others, that reach 4 billion people worldwide.
LVPEI has begun a vision screening and care program for underserved children around the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, India. From 2016-2017, community health workers and staff from LVPEI screened 25,000 children in need from urban and rural areas in and around the city of Vijayawada for vision loss and eye disease. For those who screen positive, LVPEI provided glasses, visual aids, medical, and surgical care free of cost to the child. Approximately 5,000 children received such care and KRHTPA is proud to have raised money in support.
The 2015 KRHTPA team consisted of Nidhi Dontula, Rohan Gupta, Srihari Chari, Suhina Patel, Aditi Mehta, Kaitlyn Gelb, Parth Patel, Raaga Kannan, Radhika Amin, Sajan Deol, Sean Gelb, Serena Sanon, Shreya Mishra, and Shweta Koul
2014:
In 2014 "Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts" chose to raise money for two charities. The first one was FREE: Friends of Educational Excellence, and the second charity was CHIRPS: Cleft Health in India by Rochester Plastic Surgeons.
That year, during our banquet on November 15th, thanks to the generosity of all our donors and supporters, we set another KRHTPA milestone by raising over $ 40,000 for the charities in one evening.
A couple of months after the banquet, FREE informed us that they had not continuing their contract with the City of Rochester School District and therefore did not need the funds raised for 2015.
KRHTPA decided to redirect the contributions intended for FREE to two charities we had supported in the past years, and decided to donate $ 10,000 each to the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester and Bivona Child Advocacy Center in addition to the $ 20,000 donated to CHIRPS.
At a classy and intimate event arranged by the URMC on the 26th of February, 2015, KRHTPA members handed over the check for $ 20,000 to CHIRPS. This event was covered by Channel 8. On June 12th, 2015, KRHTPA held a ceremony to present the checks of $ 10,000 each to Crisis Nursery and Bivona at the ICC.
The 2014 team consisted of fourteen dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Srihari Chari, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Arundhati Vyas, Suhina Patel, Saagar Menon, Aadi Patel, Serena Sanon, Rohan Gupta, Rohan Pawar, Shweta Koul, and Nidhi Dontula all worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
CHIRPS stands for Cleft Health in India by Rochester Plastic Surgeons. CHIRPS is actually a foundation in collaboration with the University of Rochester established for children in 3rd world countries (such as India) who cannot afford cleft pallete surgery can receive the surgery at no cost.
The mission of the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester is to provide a temporary safe haven for children whose families are in crisis, to provide temporary care for children at risk for abuse or neglect, and to provide families with referrals that will help them resolve difficult situations.
Bivona Child Advocacy Center is a place for children to go after they have been physically or sexually abused. The children may stay at the Bivona facilities until their extensive legal process is finished. Bivona’s belief is that abuse is traumatic enough for children. The legal process that requires them to repeat their story over and over can be even more traumatic. Instead, children go to Bivona, and there the child say their story once. Then a Bivona representative will take care of everything else.
2013:
In 2013, Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts raised money for two charities. The first charity was Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester, and the second charity was Bivona Child Advocacy Center.
The mission of the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester is to provide a safe haven for children whose families are in crisis, to provide temporary care for children at risk for abuse or neglect, and to provide families with referrals that will help them resolve difficult situations.
Bivona Child Advocacy Center is a place for children to go after they have been physically or sexually abused. The children may stay at the Bivona facilities until their extensive legal proccess is finished. Bivona believes that abuse is traumatic enough for children. The legal proccess that requires them to repeat their story over and over can be even more traumatic. As a result, children go to Bivona and there the children say their story once. Then a Bivona representative will take care of everything else.
The 2013 team consisted of ten dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Arundhati Vyas, Sejal Patel, Saagar Menon, Aadi Patel and Rohan Gupta are worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
That year, we managed to break a KRHTPA record by raising over $25,000 to help the children at Bivona Child Advocacy Center, and Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester
“Often we forget how important it is for young people who have resources and supportive adult mentors to put their own interests aside to help others. No youth group is more representative of this energy than our beloved KRHTPA, a group sponsored by the India Community Center, that has continually supported our work at the Crisis Nursery. Their fundraising and friend raising expertise is unmatched, even by some well-organized adult groups. They are sincere and determined and because of their diligence and resolve, they have raised thousands of dollars for our babies, toddlers and children at the Crisis Nursery. We applaud the hard work of KRHTPA as we also celebrate how essential it is to get started on community engagement and volunteerism at an early stage. The center is blessed to have these young people on our side.”
2012:
In 2012, KRHTPA raised funds for Daystar. Daystar is a unique, non-institutional provider of medical daycare services for infants aging between birth to five in the State of New York. Daystar babies suffer from complex medical diagnoses as well as accidents, illnesses, congenital disorder, abuse, or neglect. This organization provides medically-competent and socially-stimulating care to these infants and ensures the health of the Daystar family by providing emotion support and advocacy.
That year's team consisted of ten dedicated and passionate high school students once again mentored by Ambika Sharma. Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Adya Kumar, Chandrika Sanapala, Ashima Sharma, Lauren Gelb, Neha Pawar, Arundhati Vyas, Sejal Patel, and Aadi Patel all worked together to make this fundraising event possible.
Similar to the events in the past, the event raised an astounding $18,000 to benefit Daystar!
2011
This event, which took place on September 17, 2011 at the Indian Community Center (ICC), was to benefit the Crisis Nursery. At this event, Kids Reaching Hearts Through Performing Arts (KRHTPA) raised a total of $17,000! The team, mentored by Ambika Sharma, consisted of Sanjana Kumar, Arundhati Vyas, Ashima Sharma, Lauren Gelb, Chandrika Sanapala, Rishaan Sharma, Shreya Patel, Neha Pawar, Rina Sherman, Tiffany Nicholas, Barbara Bruce, Shweta Sathasivam, Nikhitha Garapati, Anuja Deore, and Adya Kumar. Many of these committed members plan to come back the next year to raise money for yet another good cause.
2009-2010
In the first two years this organization was put together it raised about $10,000 each year for the Gilda's Club of Rochester. However, as this organization progessed and became more well known, their funds have greatly increased.
These are some of the photos that were taken at the last KRHTPA event at the Indian Community Center. Performances were vivid as they were a mix of American and Indian culture.