PENANG: About RM85,000 was raised at the Vegan Charity Dinner held in conjunction with World Meatless Day last Saturday at the Berjaya Penang Hotel.
The total represents the gross figure before deduction of expenses, and the final amount will be channeled to the Persatuan Pengajian Sadhu Vaswani.
The association assists the poor through aid disbursed from its Sadhu Vaswani Welfare Fund, with 32 families currently receiving food and other items at a monthly cost of RM5,000.
It also provides walkers and crutches to those in need.
The association specialises in providing micro-aid to the poor and those who have become financially unstable due to illness.
“Right from the beginning, we decided we were going to do small things to help people because we believe service is a form of worship and we all owe a debt to society,” said its chairman Datuk Pishu Murli Hassaram.
“Some 22 years ago, we started on a journey to do this, and we never thought we could grow to this level.”
On the major contributor to the Vegan Charity Dinner, Pishu said Berjaya Corporation initially agreed to sponsor 20 tables but increased it to the 27 it had at the event.
“Founder and executive chairman of Berjaya Corporation Bhd, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, very kindly gave us his blessings for this event,” he said.
“Also helping us was Berjaya Corp joint group CEO Syed Ali Shahul Hameed. Without Berjaya Corp’s help, this dinner would not have taken off the ground.”
Pishu also expressed gratitude to the Penang government for helping to make the event a success.
Among the dignitaries present were Penang Head of State Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak and State Executive Council member Phee Boon Poh, who represented Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.