NIGHTLIGHT: Meera Gandhi’s The Giving Back Foundation Honors Barbara Tober and Nimesh Kampani at the Foundation's First Gala on March 19, 2014 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. A Huge Success Says Whom You Know-Congratulations to Mover and Shaker Meera Gandhi, Mover and Shaker Barbara Tober, and Nimesh Kampani, Chairman of the JM Financial Group!!!!!

Barbara Tober

Barbara Tober, the Museum of Arts and Design’s Chairman Emerita and Chairman, Global Leadership Council, and Nimesh Kampani, Chairman of the JM Financial Group, were the honorees at the inaugural Giving Back Foundation Gala held Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  

Phylicia Rashad + Barbara Tober + Meera Gandhi
Actor/director Phylicia Rashad emceed the event.

The cocktail reception and dinner were followed by a live auction and entertainment with DJ Logic providing the music, with singer Lara Anderson and drummer Kiran Gandhi (Meera's daughter) and Bina Menon’s dance troupe from the Kalashri School performing.

Meera Gandhi, CEO and Founder of The Giving Back Foundation, said, “We are truly delighted to honor Barbara Tober and Nimish Kampani.  Both Barbara and Nimesh repsesent the true spirit of 'giving back.'" Among the co-chairs were Raymond Bickson; Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi;  His Highness Maharaja Gajsingh II of Marwar-Jodphur; Chris and Grace Meigher; TV host Deborah Norville;  actor Tim Blake Nelson; Hugh Warrender; designer Elizabeth Emanuel; Patricia Valesquez, singer Priyanka Chopra, Arshad Zakaria and many more.

Meera and Kiran
Live auction items were a couture designer outfit by Elizabeth Emanuel; luxurious vacations at the Taj Hotels and Palaces in India and at Elite Island Resorts in the Caribbean; art by renowned artists such as Tarik Currimbhoy; Qadri from Sundaram Tagore Gallery; Kelli Bickman; Parris Jaru and Juan Bernal; a design consultation with interior designer Clodagh; an exclusive handbag from Samia Kamar of London; a designer pet carrier by Emre Erturk of Emre NY;  jewelry by Jyoti Singhvi and photographs by Anders Corr and Daniel Aubry.   

The Giving Back Foundation’s mission is education to empower and uplift young people, with a goal to alleviate poverty, illness and suffering, and to support the arts through philanthropy. The Giving Back Foundation, a 501 (3)(C) entity with headquarters in New York and operations in London, Hong Kong and New Delhi, was established in 2010 by humanitarian  Meera Gandhi.

Rev. Timothy Shaw + Meera Gandhi

Angela Tafur

Aria Dandawate + Sanyo Shamsunder

Barbara Elsworth + Loyd Robinson

Barbara Tober + Chris Meigher

Boo Grace

Clodagh Aubry + Daniel Aubry

Dancers

Donald Tober + Susan Fisher + Chip Fisher

Donna Soloway + Dick Soloway

Jyoti Singhvi + Lavina Melwani

Kiran Gandhi + Lara Anderson

Susan Gutfreund

Ellen Sweeney and Meera Gandhi

Candids:

 

Barbara Tober remarked during her acceptance speech:
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen…and a warm welcome to the Giving Back Foundation beneficiaries who are here tonight: the Reverend Timothy Shaw all the way from St. Michael’s School in New Delhi, as well as representatives from the Eleanor Roosevelt Leadership Center and the Woodstock Film Festival. 

We’re SO glad you’re here!..... 

As you all know, Meera Gandhi, founder of the Giving Back Foundation, has a mantra that reflects the words of the late, great Eleanor Roosevelt. She says, “We are to the universe only as much as we give back to it”. And how right she IS! Witness all the good works she has accomplished over these four short years that the Foundation has been in existence: 

· The complete renovation of the St.Michael’s School in India

· The installation of a high-powered telescope in the Harrow School in London

· AND the establishment of an Annual Giving Back Award at the Woodstock Film Festival to celebrate those transformative filmmakers who change the way WE see the world…. 

…….These are just a FEW of the projects under the Giving Back mantel. 

Tonight I am particularly pleased that Meera has decided to turn her full attention to the Museum of Arts and Design where she has been a member of the Museum’s Global Leadership Council for some years. 

Our world class programs in the field of arts education reach out to students and their TEACHERS across all five boroughs of New York … and beyond! In this enormous city of over eight million people, so many disadvantaged children wish for the kind of artistic help that will teach them to see, to draw, to play music, to dance, to learn creativity …. And to DREAM about future careers.  

Our Inclusive targeted curriculum for some 7,500 children - from Kindergarten to 12th grade - has won awards for our understanding of the varied needs of these children who generally have no formal arts education in their public schools.  Whether it’s our flagship education program MADLab, classes for families from 3 to 103, those who are disabled, we 

are committed to helping children learn the delights, pleasures and deeper meanings of MAKING ART on their own. Our docents teach in every gallery at specific times each day to further heighten the Museum experience. 

In addition, we further celebrate creativity with award-winning, successful Artists in Residence who are practicing their craftsmanship and artistry every day of the week to the delight of our visitors and the galleries that show their work across the nation.  

As Fareed Zakaria says, “We are at the beginning of a great revolution of giving.” And Meera Gandhi celebrates this in her heartwarming book, launched with a major book signing party in 20 cities globally, including Hong Kong, London, Washington DC, Istanbul, Mumbai and our own 

Museum of Arts and Design here in New York City. (You will find a copy for yourself in your gift bags tonight, and we have many more for sale at MAD.) 

And that is why WE ARE HERE! ….. To celebrate Meera and her Giving Back Foundation which has promised a wonderfully generous contribution tonight to the Education Department at the Museum of Arts and Design. 

We are HAPPY to be working together to advance the interests of young people, the VALUE of making art , and the inextricable connection between the two.

Thank you so much !!!!!!!!

Peachy sat at a terrifically fun table, as further evidenced in the "We are the World" video below.

Meera's daughter Kiran on Drums and Singer Lara Anderson: