Read - a Thon for Jeevan Prabhat

Objective, Purpose & Introduction :

• Read - a - thon is an Annual Event at DAV Sanskriti School of Arya Samaj Greater Houston.
• A channel for raising funds for social causes, it creates not only empathy amongst children’s impressionable minds and tender hearts but also builds a lasting social compass in these young children.
• Currently, DAVSS student collect funds for Jeevan Prabhat.
• Jeevan Prabhat is a permanent shelter for the underprivileged, and orphan children who became orphans during the devastating earthquake of 26 - 1 - 2001 in Gujarat (India) and the Tsunami of 26th December 2004.
• The name - Jeevan Prabhat signifies a new dawn in the lives of the earthquake - affected children and widows.
• Jeevan Prabhat’s objective is to provide care for underprivileged children – a care that is just like how you would care for your own children. This includes housing, nutritious food and best of education for these children. Jeevan Prabhat currently has 2 locations – Gandhidham and Pondicherry. Gandidham location was founded in 2001 after a major earthquake hit the Indian state of Gujarat. The Pondicherry location was founded after "Boxer day Tsunami" – a catastrophic event of global proportions that hit Indian Ocean in 2005. DAVSS donations support Pondicherry where a child care facility was constructed last year at a cost of $400,000 - all raised through donations.

Process:

• Read - a - thon event is kicked off in early December to last during winter vacation until Rishi - Bodhotsav / Maha Shiv - Ratri in February / March.
• Students & Parents are acquainted with cause of Jeevan Prabhat for "giving & sharing" with children of Jeevan Prabhat.
• Parents are involved in the process to inspire a zest for reading in their children and to support their collection.
• Students get commitment from family, friends and neighbors to pledge money for reading.
• The pledges are in the form of dollar contributions for number of books or number of pages read by the children, etc.
• In support of the Read - a - thon, DAVSS lends out precious collection books through its library – books about the great men and women and stories from the Indian history.
• Students decide to read the books of their choice.
• The children have about 3 months to read books and collect pledges against the same from families and friends.
• More books they read, more they collect.
• More people they ask for commitment, the same page / book fetches more money to their fund collection.
• Pledge commitments can be simple - From pennies a page or Number of dollars a book.
• Traditionally, DAVSS Parent - Sponsors match funds that are collected by students.
• Since 2009 Hindi Book Reading has been initiated and Hindi Book readers receive additional personal sponsorship from DAVSS’s Acharya Praveen ji.
• For their efforts and additional reading, children receive trophies and are recognized on Rishi Bodhotsav / Maha Shiv - Ratri Day at ASGH Main Hall.
• Six Trophies are awarded in two categories to:
1. Highest readers (Maximum pages)
2. Maximum Fund collectors
• A whopping sum of about $50,000 has been collected so far by DAVSS students in last 4 years.
• Last year was a record breaking year with a maximum collection of $13,000+.

Download Readathon Form