Pittsburgh Action Center

Background

The CRY America Pittsburgh Action center was started in July 2003, with 2 people. Today, it has grown to a core group of 15 passionate and multi-skilled individuals. The team has garnered support from institutions, local groups, businesses and individuals in the region. It has partnered with like-minded organizations involved in community development to foster support.

Since our inception, the people of Pittsburgh – “America’s Most Livable City” have been a great support and our core group will continue to work towards the cause. In addition to the core group, we have a large set of volunteers – college students, young professionals, retirees - all coming together for a common cause, to raise awareness and funds. Apart from regular meetings and events, we are a young professional group that has fun sessions too, like monthly dinners and picnics!!

CRY America Pittsburgh’s brand events include “Festival in the Park” and “Walk for Child Rights”.

“CRY Festival in the Park” is organized with a simple idea in mind - to bring together people of different communities in and around Pittsburgh to support the cause of restoring basic rights to underprivileged children. The theme is a blend of music, food and movies, a universally appealing factor. This year will be the 4th edition of the Festival which has attracted more than 2000 people over the years and featured performances by local acts like Jim Dispirito, Big World, Nandanik Dance Academy and Chai Baba. Watch this page for information on this year’s Festival!!

CRY America “Walk for Child Rights” is a 5K walk event along with an online campaign. The idea behind the online donation campaign is to enable donors to show their support for the cause and the Action Center. Till date, the online campaign has managed to raise more than $15,000.

Plans for 2008

• International Silent Auction with SIFE
• A top-Indian classical music concert in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2008
• Walk for Child Rights 2008
• A black-tie dinner towards the end of the year
• Corporate Quiz Contest 

Activities in 2008:

• Diwali Gala 2008
• Festival in the Park 2008
• Bhangra O.D.- Kick off the Summer with a Dose of Bhangra
• ANKUR donates to CRY America Pittsburgh
• “An Unlikely Friendship in the Slums of Bombay: an American professional’s adventures into India’s endemic poverty and the people he met.”
• International Silent Auction

Activities in 2007:

• NetIP Pittsburgh Diwali Gala
  
• CRY America Pittsburgh Walk 2007
  
• Mother Teresa is Dead - powerful drama by British playwright Helen Edmundson beginning Oct 4, 2007
  
• FESTIVAL IN THE PARK 2007

Contacts:

Name: Tejas Pevekar
Role: Action Center Leader & Donor Management Lead
Contact: 412-327-1388  
Email: pevekartejas@yahoo.com cryamerica.pittsburgh@crymail.org

Name: Adam MacGregor
Role: Action Center Co-Lead & Public Relations Lead
Contact: (412)-913-6086
Email: haggisvindaloo@gmail.com

Name: Kalyani Gopalan
Role: Corporate Sponsorship Lead
Email: kalyanigopalan@yahoo.com

Name: Marc Brands
Role: Finance Lead
Email: cry@marcbrands.com 

Name: Jacqueline Schaffer
Role: Volunteer Management Lead
Email: jschaffe+@pitt.edu 

Name: Eric Linge
Role: Technology & Design Lead
Email: elinge42@yahoo.com

Name: Deepa Patil
Role: Products Lead
Email: dvagarali@yahoo.com 

Name: Ramya Ramamurthy
Role: Corporate Sponsorship Associate Lead
Email: ramya.rr@gmail.com

Name: Ann Young
Role: Public Relations Associate Lead
Email: any13+@pitt.edu

Name: Sundar Sankaranarayanan
Role: Technology Associate Lead
Email: sundararajan.sankaranarayanan@gmail.com

EVENT COMMITTEES:

Lingaraj Patil – lingaraj_sp@yahoo.com
Sameer Karkhanis – karkhanis_samy@yahoo.com
Sohini Advani – payal291@yahoo.com
Chelsey Engel – cnengel@pointpark.edu
Arvind – rags.arvind@gmail.com