International Friendship Day, celebrated on Sunday, August 4th in India and many other parts of the world, turned out to be the best day for bringing friends together for a noble cause. ‘Cricket for Cause’ event was held in Acton, MA to spread awareness for Ekal Vidalaya’s cause and to promote Sankalp’s first annual event.

Sankalp is a group of like-minded individuals, who wanted to do something for a charitable cause believing in the power of education and empowerment. Sankalp has collaborated with Ekal Vidyalaya, a non-profit organization that is working towards bringing primary education to every child possible in rural India.

In an effort to bring awareness of Ekal Vidyalaya initiatives, Sankalp team had organized a T-20 Cricket match (Scorecard: https://cricheroes.in/scorecard/481537/Cricket-for-a-Cause/MVCC-RED-vs-MVCC-BLUE ). Players from the Merrimack Valley Cricket Club (MVCC) participated in the event and supported the cause with great spirit and energy. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by the players as well as their families and guests. Kids enjoyed coloring activities and various games, such as cricket and cornhole. There was music, food and fun for people of all ages to enjoy!!

During innings break, Founder of Ekal Vidyalaya New England, Ram Nehra, presented the players with participation trophies and Ekal T-shirts. Executive Director of Ekal Vidyalaya, Ranjani Saigal, gave insight on how the foundation works. It was truly inspiring and motivating to hear how individuals who have been nurtured by Ekal are making a difference in the world. One such story she narrated was of Pinki Karmakar, an Ekal student who was chosen to run with the Olympic torch for India at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Rakesh Kapoor from Ekal Vidyalaya also engaged with guests and players throughout the event sharing Ekal’s success model. Through the conversations and inspiring stories Mangesh Rane, founder and president of MVCC, instantly connected with the cause as he was raised in a rural part of Maharashtra and understands the related challenges.

A successful event can only be possible through the dedication and endless efforts of its volunteers. Special thanks to those who have facilitated this events success: Mahesh Navani, Girish Navani, Radhi Navani, Pratibha Varshney, Sourabh Kulkarni, Vishal Ojha, Nisha Bawa, Verinder Bawa, Vijaya Pathak, Madhushree Kulkarni, Neetu Chouksey, Varun T. Shah, Priyanki Shah, Preeti Sharma, Bhakti Shah, Aditi Jain, and Natasha Chitalia.