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CRY Bay Area gala raises over $500K for child welfare projects in India
CRY America is a U.S. nonprofit that supports projects in India and the United States to ensure access to education and health care for underprivileged children
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Shalini Kathuria Narang - Mon, 04, May 2026
- 01:13 EDT
- 18
Venky Harinarayan, founder of Rocketship.vc / Courtesy photo
“Growing up in India, we saw how children are robbed of their future. All of us can visualize someone from our childhood,” said Venky Harinarayan, founder of Rocketship.vc and co-owner of the San Francisco Unicorns Major League Cricket team.
Harinarayan spoke at the annual CRY gala held May 2 at Hayes Mansion in San Jose. An entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist, he also recalled CRY cards from his childhood as “the only cards that we were allowed to buy.”
ALSO READ: Vikrant Massey to grace CRY America’s 2026 gala
Child Rights and You (CRY) America is a U.S. nonprofit that supports projects in India and the United States to ensure access to education and health care for underprivileged children, and protection from child labor, early marriage and trafficking.
The CRY Bay Area chapter raised more than $500,000 at the gala to support projects in India.
Since 2004, with support from more than 35,334 donors and 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has impacted 825,539 children across 5,064 villages and slums through 111 projects in India and the United States.
“Of all the philanthropic things you can do, helping a child has the most leverage. You are changing the trajectory of their lives at such an early stage that you can make a big difference. When I think of my own giving, children are at the core of how I believe dollars can make a difference,” Harinarayan said.
Ground partner highlights progress against social barriers
KV Ramana, director of CRY partner Project Pragathi, spoke about his work with tribal and Dalit communities addressing child labor, child marriage and access to education in rural Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking in Telugu, he described the practice of mass child marriages during Shivratri, which has been curbed through nonprofit intervention and the economic empowerment of landless laborers in several rural areas.
“The crux of the issue was the lack of stability among landless workers due to limited resources,” a translator said.
Ramana helped secure and distribute more than 3,500 acres of land to low-caste, landless laborers, enabling families to establish stability. This shift has contributed to lower infant mortality, improved nutrition for women and children, and increased school enrollment and literacy.
Due to the sustained efforts of Ramana and his team, Project Pragathi has emerged as a sustainable model for community development and empowerment.
Actor Vikrant Massey / Courtesy photo
Vikrant Massey headlines CRY gala
Vikrant Massey, known for projects including Mirzapur, Haseen Dillruba and 12th Fail, headlined the event.
“I come from a very modest background in Mumbai. I took it upon myself to step out and support my education, as I could see the stress on my father,” Massey said. “I understand the value of education and the role it can play in uplifting not just individuals and families but entire communities.”
He credited 12th Fail as a defining moment in his career and reflected on his upbringing among children of auto-rickshaw drivers and street hawkers.
Massey emphasized that children outside major metropolitan areas such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru need greater support to avoid risks such as child labor and early marriage.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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