THE volunteers of Amar Karma Health and Wellness Awareness held their 12th annual Give a Heart event virtually again for the second year in a row on the evening of February 5. Those who missed the event can revisit this link: https://youtu.be/aBvK9LoucN4
Organized by a group of volunteers, the annual Give A Heart gala is a Valentine’s Day celebration with a unique perspective of expressing love and care towards humanity, by highlighting some of the simplest ways to make a difference. The event depicts important social causes by involving youth in activities such as speeches, and other creative ways. Youngsters get to choose a subject, research it and project it at the Give a Heart platform where they are recognized by the officials present at the event.
“In that way, Amar Karma Network offers a footing for the younger generations to learn, practice and perform their skills, and their connection to the community grows with them too,” said Dr. Aman Tagger, board member at the organization. “This year students from grade one to grade 11 from different schools around GTA participated in speeches with topics such as mental health, organ donation, environment, impact of social media on social lives, etc.”
Some of the undertakings of Amar Karma Health and Wellness Awareness Network are raising awareness about organ and tissue donation, cord blood donation, disability / accessibility / mental health, environment and causes that matter the most. At the same time, the group takes pride in celebrating multiculturalism and diversity by involving different ethnic groups in their activities. Furthermore, Radhika Goyal the torch bearer from last year’s annual ‘Give a Heart’ gala introduced Jiya Khurana, a long-time volunteer at Amar Karma, who proudly announced her registration to become an organ donor. “That is a beautiful way of learning team spirit and passing on the legacies,” said Tagger.
The gala has seen more than 400 guests each year during the pre-COVID-19 times, mostly families. Beyond just fun and entertainment, Give A Heart also offers its volunteers recognition and an outlet to perform their best talents and practice newer ones such as public speaking, organizing, management, and strategic execution of plans that take a course of several months.
Gaurav Marok, a fourth-year university student received the volunteer of the year award. Gaurav has been a volunteer with the organization for the past five years and has made a tremendous contribution to the organization’s growth, along with attending full-time classes in the business program.
More information is available at www.amarkarma.org
