Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to Headline Akshaya Patra Houston Benefit Gala

Sanjeev

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Comedian Omi Vaidya will be the event’s Master of Ceremonies

HOUSTON: The Akshaya Patra Foundation will be holding its 2016 Houston Benefit Event on Friday, October 7 at the Sugar Land Marriott.  Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will be the event’s keynote speaker.  Comedian Omi Vaidya will act as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.

Sanjeev Kapoor is inarguably one of the most recognized faces of Indian television. He has been in people’s living rooms for almost two decades introducing them to the delights of Indian and international cuisine. His show Khana Khazana was a trailblazing cooking show on Zee TV.  He has the proud distinction of being the only chef in the world to have his own channel – FoodFood. He has been conferred the ‘Best Chef of India’ award by the Government of India. Chef Kapoor represented India in the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) in South Korea and brought Indian Ayurvedic cooking to a world stage. He was the Indian ambassador for the United Nation’s Clean Cook Stoves campaign for the underprivileged of developing countries. He represented India as a Food Ambassador in Spain under the Spanish Government’s Indian Future Leaders Program (IFLP). He has also cooked for many dignitaries, including the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Sanjeev Kapoor’s restaurants—Khazana, The Yellow Chilli, Signature, Hong Kong and Options—are considered the best in their categories in India and abroad.

Omi

Omi Vaidya

Omi Vaidya is one of the few actors and filmmakers working in Hollywood and Bollywood. A graduate of NYU’s Film School, Omi started as a video editor on independent films and went on to direct short films that have won awards at film festivals worldwide.  Omi’s work in front of the camera includes memorable characters on American TV shows like The Office, Arrested Development, Bones, Growing up Fischer, and The Comeback.  In Bollywood, Omi made his major debut in Aamir Khan’s film, Three Idiots, which became the biggest Indian box office success of all time.

The event will be held at the Marriott in Sugar Land, Texas, and will begin with a welcome reception. Over 350 business, non-profit, government, and philanthropic leaders from around the region are expected to attend and support the organization’s dual mission of addressing childhood hunger and malnutrition and to promote education for underserved children in India.

Established in 2000, Akshaya Patra began by serving 1,500 in 5 schools in Bangalore. Today Akshaya Patra is the largest NGO-run school meal programs in the world and serves over 1.5 million children daily in over 11,501 schools through 24 kitchens in ten states in India.  In 2016, Akshaya Patra is celebrating its 15th Anniversary and the serving of its 2 billionth meal to children in India.  Akshaya Patra USA is the US branch of Akshaya Patra and raises funds and awareness for the school meal program in India.
Akshaya Patra has received international recognition for its life-changing mission.  In 2016, Akshaya Patra’s Founder Madhu Pandit Dasa received the Padma Shri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for his work with Akshaya Patra.  Shridhar Venkat, CEO of Akshaya Patra India, was recognized as being among the 50 Most Impactful Social Innovators in the world. Akshaya Patra was recently awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize, an award established to recognize an organization’s outstanding achievements that contribute to the region’s sustainable development.

For more information about Akshaya Patra, please visit www.foodforeducation.org.

This year’s event will feature an evening of networking, entertainment, and dinner.

For more information email Manisha@apusa.org or call 832-876-2142
To register: Piyali@apusa.org or 781-462-8454
To register or purchase tickets: www.foodforeducation.org/houston