BURLINGTON, Mass. — The Akshaya Patra Foundation USA Boston Chapter raised $1 million during its annual Boston Gala held May 3 at the Boston Marriott Burlington, bringing together civic leaders, philanthropists, volunteers and community supporters to advance the organization’s mission of ending classroom hunger in India.
The event highlighted the foundation’s ongoing efforts to provide nutritious school meals to children across India and emphasized the role of the Boston community in supporting access to education through nutrition initiatives.
Special guests included Vinita Gupta and Desh Deshpande, who spoke about the organization’s impact and the importance of community-driven philanthropy. Organizers noted that Deshpande has played a significant role in expanding awareness of Akshaya Patra’s mission across the United States.
The evening also featured a musical performance by Shirish Nimgaonkar, while emcee Aditi Lamba guided the program.
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Guests learned about Akshaya Patra’s large-scale school meal initiatives and opportunities to support efforts aimed at ensuring children have the nourishment needed to learn and succeed.
“Boston has always been a city that leads with heart and action,” said Rakesh Kamdar. “This gala brought together leaders and philanthropists around a proven, scalable solution, ensuring children have the nourishment they need to learn, thrive, and dream big.”
Organizers credited the success of the gala to the efforts of chapter leaders, volunteers and youth ambassadors who helped mobilize community support and raise awareness about classroom hunger.
The Boston Chapter acknowledged the contributions of Dr. Manju Sheth, Rajeev Jain, Samantha Ganglani, Yoshika Sherring, Ajita Bhat, Nidhi Singhal, Bela Chandhok, Venkat Kolluri, Neena Grover and Kamdar for their leadership and commitment.
The organization also thanked donors, sponsors, volunteers and community partners for supporting the foundation’s mission. Special recognition was given to Parina Deva and the Deva family for their leadership in organizing the 2025 Boston Golf Tournament, which helped strengthen community engagement efforts.
According to the foundation, Akshaya Patra currently provides free mid-day meals to more than 2.35 million children across over 24,000 government schools in India each day. Over the past two decades, the organization has delivered more than 5 billion meals through a network of 78 centralized kitchens.
For more information, visit Akshaya Patra Foundation USA