When six-year-old Viraj Agarwal broke open his little piggy bank and offered the coins to his grandfather, Vimal Agarwal, a member of RC Lakhimpur Kheri, RID 3120, he did not realise that this would turn into a service project. Khushiyon Bhari Deepawali (A Joyful Diwali), organised on Dhanteras by the club, brought cheer to children from nearby slum areas. “Viraj’s savings were the first fund that went into buying sweets and sparklers for children who rarely get to celebrate the festival,” smiles his grandfather Agarwal.
The club invited around 100 children to the Sakam Hotel and Shraddha Restaurant in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), providing many of them with their first experience of dining in an air-conditioned restaurant and selecting from a variety of dishes.
After the meal, a series of competitions, games and fun activities kept the celebration lively, and the children went home with gift hampers, toys, sweets and fireworks, tokens of a festival they would remember for years.
Club president Preeti Singh and secretary Aruna Agarwal coordinated the event, describing it as an effort to “spread light not only through lamps but through acts of kindness that brighten hearts.” Senior members, including PDG Ajay Kumar Arora participated in the event.