Virat Kohli to host the dinner and Chef Vikas Khanna will add Michelin star treatment for the invitees

New Delhi : May 2016 : Virat Kohli Foundation has joined hands with Smile Foundation, a national level development organization, to support the cause of empowerment of underprivileged Children and Youth. As a first step towards this endeavor, a one-of-its-kind charity dinner in Mumbai is going to be organised in June. Virat Kohli himself will host the charity dinner and it will bring together eminent cricketers, industry stalwarts, corporate honchos, Bollywood personalities and achievers from diverse fields. The evening will also have the element of auction of high-end luxury products, entertainment and a five course Michelin starred treatment dinner for 200 distinguished guests.

Speaking on this occasion Virat Kohli Said “Children and Youth are the next generation of students, leaders, entrepreneurs, and the future of the country and there is no better tool other than education to empower them. This initiative is not just about fulfilling their basic needs, but making them able to take care of their own needs – giving them an opportunity to learn, equipping them to face challenges and preparing them to be tomorrow’s leaders. I am glad to be associated with Smile Foundation and contribute towards this endeavor. ”

Today, more than half of India’s population is below the age of 25. In another five years, India is touted to become the country with the largest young population in the world. But nearly 8 million children in India are still out of school – on the streets, working in hazardous conditions, getting involved in illegal activities – far away from the innocence of childhood. The situation of our youth is no different. As per a latest Survey Report by the NSSO, the unemployment rate in India has increased substantially in the last two years with nearly 10.8 million unemployed young men and women. Thus, the soul behind this initiative is to raise awareness and support for the cause of education and skill training for the thousands of less privileged children and youth in India.

Virat Kohli, is one of the most loved, followed youth icons of the day. The place he has created for himself in Indian Cricket and the hearts of cricket lovers at such a young age remains unparalleled. His association with social work brings admiration not only from the cricket arena but from every strata of the society. Through this initiative he will be encouraging youth to reach for their aspirations and will also advocate, inspire and invite more corporate to join the social movement.

Michelin starred chef Vikas Khanna who is the global ambassador for Smile Foundation, advocates the importance of Nutrition for Education. According to Vikas Khanna “Proper nutrition is crucial to bring up our younger generation. Taking the message of importance of nutrition is the need of the hour, so that the future generation of the country doesn’t miss out on other crucial aspects of life. My association with Smile Foundation is to reinsure the fact the no child should miss out education because of the lack of nutrition”. Vikas Khanna has pledged to raise #milliondollar4nutrition and he will auction his premium culinary cookbook “Utsav – a culinary epic of Indian festivals” at the event to support this initiative.

“Celebrities are ambassadors of the society they are from, to the rest of the world. They have the power to influence on millions. People across ages and segments consider them as role models. I would like to thank the British Band “Vamps” and Vishal-Shekhar for their support and to add more strength to the cause of Smile Foundation”. Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Executive Director and Trustee, Smile Foundation.

“Virat Kohli is one of the most loved youth icons of the day, embodying the hopes, aspirations and dreams of millions of young people across the country. We appreciate philanthropic values of Virat Kohli Foundation. To have him support the cause of empowerment for children and youth strengthens our resolve to reach out to thousands of those unreached young people who are still struggling to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty and help them write their own destinies with the power of education.” Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation.

Smile Foundation has been working intensively for the empowerment of children and youth through its education initiatives that provide them with quality education, skills training, proper nutrition, and relevant exposure and opportunities. With the two industry stalwarts Virat Kohli and Vikas Khanna joining this initiative, the movement will step in to the next phase of success.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is a national level development organization benefitting over 400,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through 158 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 26 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.

To know more about Smile Foundation, log onto: – www.smilefoundationindia.org