A sold-out Diwali-themed celebration in Vancouver raised $165,000 for deserving girls at schools in Surrey and other cities in the region.
Proceeds from the third annual Be The Light Society gala will fund scholarships next June for "highly deserving girls in their senior year who are in financial need in Surrey Schools," according to Karen Dosanjh, advisory board member.
Oct. 18 at Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, more than 250 women and supporters attended the gala, presented by TD Bank Group.
The funds will go toward educational scholarships, leadership programs, financial literacy programs and other initiatives to support South Asian women, Dosanjh reported.
Be The Light Society (BTLS) is a non-profit charity focused on "creating community through education and impact to help South Asian women and girls transcend beyond gender, cultural and social barriers," Dosanjh said. "We are proud that BTLS is a 100-per-cent volunteer-run organization and therefore these funds will go directly towards the cause," she added.
"In 2023, the BTLS reached its ambitious goal to donate 22 $2,500-scholarships to deserving South Asian girls in financial need in B.C. high schools, totalling $55,000 raised."
BTLS is co-founded by Rajbir Grewal (Lux Affairs), Amneet Athwal (Tone Inc.) and Jothi Garcha (L9 Contracting & Development).
“Be The Light Society is laser-focused on levelling the playing field for South Asian women and girls in Canada," Dosanjh said, "by advocating for this traditionally marginalized group in our society through fair access to education, leadership opportunities and meaningful connection to others. We remain fully committed to fundraising to donate multiple scholarships for highly deserving South Asian girls in our community who need this financial support to have a fair shot at achieving their educational dreams.”
Now welcomed on bethelightsociety.ca are scholarship applications for the 2024-25 school year, for girls of South Asian descent at schools in the Lower Mainland.
The 20 BTLS scholarship winners for 2024 are Alisha Thandi (Rick Hansen Secondary), Ambreen Kaur Benipal (GW Graham Secondary), Armen Bains (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Arushi Gandhal (Abbotsford Traditional Schools), Avleen Kaur Kailey (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Avneet Kaur Grewal (Rick Hansen Secondary), Esha Nijjar (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Harleine Grewal (Westview Secondary), Harneet Kaur Takhar (Burnsview Secondary), Jasleen Kaur Uppal (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Kavleen Bhullar (École Panorama Ridge Secondary), Komaljeet Kaur (Khalsa Secondary, Surrey), Manroop Kaur Gill (Terry Fox Secondary), Prabhleen Kaur (Johnston Heights Secondary), Raheema Sultana Rai (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Saanjh Jaura (Rick Hansen Secondary), Tanveer Kaur Dhaliwal (Rick Hansen Secondary), Tanveer Kaur Parmar (L. A. Matheson Secondary), Zaara Rahiman (L.A. Matheson Secondary) and Zahra Khan (L. A. Matheson Secondary).
