Date: May 3, 2025
Venue: Hyatt Regency, Chandigarh
The inaugural event of the Sudhir Reema Dewan Foundation (SRDF), held on May 3, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Chandigarh, marked a heartfelt beginning to a noble cause. Organized as a charity dinner and fundraiser, the evening was dedicated to promoting awareness about organ donation and mobilizing support for patients in urgent need of life-saving transplants.
The foundation has been established to honour the legacy of Mr. Sudhir Dewan, a passionate advocate for organ donation and a transplant recipient himself.
Led by Mrs. Reema Dewan and Ms. Divya Dewan Mehta, in collaboration with the MOHAN Foundation, SRDF envisions a future where critical organ transplants are accessible to all, especially the underprivileged.
The evening opened with soul-stirring Sufi music and featured continuous visuals from Heroes and Second Innings, a movie highlighting stories of resilience and hope.
Mrs. Reema Dewan formally welcomed the attendees and invited Mr. A.P. Singh to deliver the opening remarks.
The opening remarks were followed by an introduction to Mrs. Bhawna Garg, a distinguished IAS officer from the 1999 batch and currently Additional Secretary, Government of India.
Mrs. Garg delivered a compelling address reflecting on the unmet needs of 2010 and the significant strides made in awareness since then. According to her, including an organ donation consent option in Aadhaar registration or updates would streamline the process and help build a robust national registry of willing donors.
She further elaborated on the ethical, medical and logistical challenges surrounding organ donation in India and stressed the need for policy reforms and greater public education to bridge the gap between donors and recipients.
Following her inspiring address, Ms. Divya Dewan eloquently took the program forward with a meaningful and symbolic activity. She invited guests to participate in a unique consent gesture—placing stickers on a "Tree of Life." The tree symbolized the growth, hope and fruition of life made possible through organ donation. Each sticker represented an individual’s commitment to the cause, visually portraying a community coming together to nurture a life-saving mission.
Ms. Divya then steered ahead the main event which was the official launch of SRDF, which included:
● An emotional narrative of Mr. Sudhir Dewan’s life mission to promote organ donation, the tremendous work done by him as Director, North, MOHAN Foundation and the vast body of work done by MOHAN Foundation
● The launch of the official logo and anthem of the SRDF was a significant segment of the evening.
● The unveiling of the SRDF logo symbolized the foundation’s commitment to the cause of organ donation. Complementing this was the launch of the SRDF anthem, a melodious and inspiring composition that resonates with the spirit of nurturing lives.
● To raise awareness about the importance of organ donation
● To support underprivileged patients in need of transplant surgeries
● To provide post-transplant medical assistance and support
The event also included testimonials from organ recipients, tributes to donors and their families, and a candlelight ceremony to honour their selfless contributions.
The evening concluded with heartfelt closing remarks by Mrs. Reema Dewan and a dinner reception, leaving attendees inspired and committed to the foundation’s vision.
Through this impactful event, SRDF has laid a strong foundation for future initiatives, aiming to transform lives and ensure that no one waits in vain for an organ.
The event witnessed the gracious presence over 250 esteemed guests, whose participation played a pivotal role in making it a remarkable success.
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