The CRY New York Gala was held on April 24th at the iconic Taj Pierre Hotel. The evening included a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, dinner, donor appreciation, pledge session, bollywood music and dancing. Special guests included award winning actor Vikrant Massey who appealed to the guests to support CRY America that works with projects to make transformative changes in the lives of children. Project Partner Mr. KV Ramana spoke about Project Pragathi’s impact in Andhra Pradesh and CRY Director of Fundraising, Patrick Bocco, shared about his recent project visits in India and the impact he witnessed. Guest Speaker Sree Sreenivasan, CEO of Digimentors, shared his perspective on giving back and invited the Indian diaspora to support organizations like CRY America that give children a better future. A big thank you to our CRY NY/NJ Gala Committee, and all our generous donors, sponsors, volunteers, media & staff for this awesome event & making children’s dreams come true!

The Houston CRY Gala, held on April 25, 2026 at Hotel ZaZa, Museum District, brought together an inspiring community of supporters for an evening dedicated to creating brighter futures for children. With approximately 190 attendees, the event raised funds in support of CRY’s mission to ensure every child has access to education, healthcare, safety, and opportunity. The evening was made possible through the dedication and leadership of our Gala Committee members, including: Pooja & Chandu Revanur, Devina & Dilip Bhojwani, Dharam & Priya Bali, Pradeep & Madhavi Gokhale, Tina & Harish Pariani, and Amitha & Neal Verma. The success of the Houston Gala was further strengthened by the extraordinary generosity and leadership of dedicated supporters including Shalini and Dilip Bhargava, Amith Bhandhari, and Hubert & Sheela Vaz Nayak. Their significant contributions and continued commitment to advancing children’s rights played a pivotal role in helping CRY America meet its fundraising goals. The highlight of the evening was a moving address by Vikrant Massey, who spoke about the power of collective action, reminding attendees that lasting change is only possible through continued support and sustained investment in grassroots programs that create real pathways to possibility. The Houston Gala was a powerful reminder that when communities come together with purpose, meaningful impact follows. We are deeply grateful to every donor, sponsor, volunteer, and attendee who helped make the evening a success and further CRY America’s mission of building a world where every child can thrive.

We are delighted to share that the Seattle Uphaar Gala at the W Hotel on May 1, 2026 raised over $400,000 to support CRY America’s work creating opportunities for children. Heartfelt thanks to our celebrity guest Vikrant Massey, keynote speaker Priya Priyadarshini and project partner Mr. Ramana from India. Special appreciation to our dinner advisory council, and the many volunteers whose dedication helped make the evening a success. Under the theme “Pathways to Possibilities,” the Seattle community came together to ensure thousands of children receive the Uphaar — the gift — of opportunity to live up to their potential with dignity. A special shout-out to Molly and her team for hosting the evening so seamlessly as our emcee. Thank you to everyone who showed up, gave and continues to build pathways for children across the globe. Our heartfelt thanks to Morgan Stanley, Allstate, and Karthik Kuppa for their generous support in making the CRY Seattle Uphaar a success.

We’re thrilled to announce that the CRY Bay Area Gala held on May 2, 2026 at Hayes Mansion surpassed the $500,000 milestone — thank you to our dinner committee, volunteers, keynote speaker Venky Harinarayan and project partner K V Ramana from India & Celebrity Guest, Vikrant Massey for making this possible. That evening, the Bay Area community came together to carve out “Pathways to Possibilities,” committing collective action to ensure children born on the other side of the zip code have real opportunity. A roomful of people choosing to care, year after year, is how a generation gets changed. We were honored to hear our celebrity guest, Vikrant Massey, share his powerful story of persistence and humility — a reminder of why this work matters. Deep gratitude to everyone who showed up, gave and will keep building these pathways.

The CRY San Diego Gala was held on May 3rd at Green Acre. The evening included a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, dinner, donor appreciation, pledge session, live music by Seema Pai and her band as well as dancing. Special guests included award winning actor Vikrant Massey who urged guests to support education and the vulnerable children that CRY America works with. Project Partner Mr. KV Ramana spoke about Project Pragathi’s impact in Andhra Pradesh and CRY Executive Director, Sandeep Bathala, shared that support of CRY and its projects provides essential services to underserved regions. Guest Speakers Kranti Ponnam, accomplished business leader, and Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, Consul General of India in Los Angeles, shared their perspective on giving back and invited the Indian diaspora to support organizations like CRY America that give children a better future. A heartfelt thank you to our CRY San Diego Gala Committee and all our volunteers, generous donors, sponsors & staff for this amazing event to make children’s dreams come true! Thank You.