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From Home Furnishing Business
Surya Employees Run "Miles for Meals"
October 11,
2013 by in Community / Charitable Support, Industry 
Rug and accessories vendor Surya's Miles for Meals initiative has raised more than $38,000 for Akshaya Patra, one of the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programs.
On Sunday, 24 Surya employees ran in the Allstate Atlanta 13.1 Marathon to raise funds for the charitable organization, which serves a freshly prepared, nutritious lunch each day to more than 1.3 million children throughout rural India. The program not only helps to reduce hunger and malnutrition, but also provides an incentive for children to attend school.
In 2012, Surya’s president, Satya Tiwari, who grew up in a small village in Northeastern India, saw the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of impoverished children and their families and donated $250,000 on behalf of Surya to Akshaya Patra. As a result, thousands of children living in rural Indian villages were given access to healthy meals for an entire year.
The “Miles for Meals” program was launched soon after to help raise additional funds for the organization via participation in a half marathon event. Fifteen Surya employees participated in the inaugural Miles for Meals run in 2012, raising $29,000 to feed more than 1,900 children for the coming year. Backed by the generous support of friends, family, customers and the local community, Surya employees once again ran, exceeding the program’s 2013 fundraising goal of $35,000 by more than $3,000 to date, providing more than 2,500 children with lunchtime meals during the next year.
“Hunger should never be a barrier to education,” said Satya Tiwari, president of Surya, Calhoun, Ga. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every person who has contributed their time and money to benefit this important cause. Together, we are able to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and the communities in which they live, one meal at a time.”
In response to the strong outpouring of support for Miles for Meals, Surya has increased this year’s fundraising goal to $40,000 and will continue to accept donations through the end of October. It costs just $15 to feed a child for the entire school year. To learn more about the work of Akshaya Patra and the Miles for Meals program, click here.