Surya Readies for Miles for Meals Campaign

August 29, 2014  by in Community / Charitable Support, Industry   

Saturday, Oct. 4, more than 45 Surya employees and partners will participate in a half marathon event in Cumming, Ga., to help provide meals for thousands of school children in villages in Northern India where Surya’s weaver community resides.

Since its inception in 2012, Surya’s Miles for Meals program has raised more than $70,000 for the non-profit organization, which serves a freshly prepared, nutritious lunch each day to more than 1.4 million children throughout rural India. The program not only helps to address hunger and malnutrition, but also provides an incentive for children to stay in school so that they have the opportunity to thrive as adults.

“My father, Surya founder Surya Tiwari, started his career as a teacher in a small village in India and recognized early on the role of education as a catalyst for social mobility,” said Satya Tiwari, president of Surya. “We are very conscious of the health and educational challenges in rural areas and, like Akshaya Patra, want every child to have access to food and education and the chance to break the cycle of poverty. Through the Miles for Meals initiative, Surya and our customers and partners can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families.”

In response to the strong support for Miles for Meals last year, Surya has raised the bar even higher this year, setting a fundraising goal of $50,000. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made through Oct. 30. It costs $15 to feed one child for an entire school year.