American India Foundation to Host Fall Benefit Gala

Hector Ruiz of AMD and Kiran Mazumdar of Biocon to receive AIF Corporate Leadership Award Performances by whirling dervish Gregangelo . emerging Indian artist Raghava , and Naach Company of dancers Special guest: Bollywood actress and AIDS activist Shilpa Shetty

San Jose (AIF) -- 9/28/2005 -- The American India Foundation (AIF) is getting ready to roll out the red carpet in Silicon Valley as it hosts its 2nd Annual Fall Benefit Gala at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California on Saturday, October 8, 2005. Titled Bow Ties & Bangles: an Evening of Rhythm, Rhapsody and Color, this black-tie event will feature an exclusive cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and a mélange of scintillating entertainment. With the goal of raising $1 million, proceeds from the Gala will go towards furthering AIF’s mission in its three thematic pillars of work in India: Education, Livelihood and Public Health.

“We are thrilled by the response we’ve received thus far to this year’s Fall Benefit Gala,” remarks AIF President Lata Krishnan. “We welcome the support of past and new donors as we raise funds for innovative and scalable projects in India.”

Over 800 guests including Fortune 500 CEOs and leaders from corporations, government, media and the entertainment industry are expected to attend, including award-winning Bollywood actress and AIDS activist, Shilpa Shetty.

This year AIF will honor two remarkable individuals for their leadership, entrepreneurial endeavors and deep commitment to corporate social responsibility. The 2005 AIF-US Corporate Leadership Award honoree is Hector Ruiz, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of AMD. The award is in recognition of Mr. Ruiz’s leadership role in technology and AMD’s commitment to make empowering technologies available to a larger portion of the global population. In particular, Ruiz has been the driving force behind 50x15 – AMD’s initiative to help enable affordable Internet access and computing capabilities for 50 percent of the world’s population by the year 2015.

"It is an honor to receive this prestigious award," said Hector Ruiz. "In an increasingly connected world, I believe business leaders share an obligation to foster positive change globally. The American India Foundation and AMD understand this responsibility and share a common vision of advancing social and economic change by empowering people through all kinds of growth - from individual growth to enhanced education and job creation."

The 2005 AIF-India Corporate Leadership Award honoree is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Limited. The award is in recognition of Ms. Shaw’s leadership role in promoting initiatives to support environment, education, health and welfare-related issues in India.

Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and NBC News anchor Raj Mathai will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Ann Getty, well-known philanthropist and Indophile, will serve as Gala Chair.

“I am thrilled to Chair the Fall Benefit Gala this year,” remarks Ann Getty. “A global concern close to my heart is the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in India. Be it AIDS or other pet causes, your attendance on October 8th would be greatly appreciated in support of the many works of the American Indian Foundation.”

The grand highlight of the evening will be an entertainment extravaganza featuring the renowned whirling dervish Gregangelo & his Velocity Circus Troupe in a stunning display of aerial acts. Bangalore-born painter and up-and-comer Raghava will showcase his acclaimed artistic innovation titled Anthropomorphism – When Paintings Dance. Naach Company, Bay Area’s top Bollywood-esque dance troupe, will perform its high-spirited choreographed ensembles. The evening will conclude with a DJ and dancing.

Past guests of AIF benefit galas have included President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, Deepak Chopra, Heather Graham, Richard Gere, A.R. Rahman and Gloria Steinem.

Table sponsorships for the Gala start at $5K for a table of 10; individual tickets start at $500. To purchase Gala tickets or tables and for sponsorship information, please contact Mythili Sankaran: mythili@mythicaleast.com / (408) 421-4524 or Neale Gonsalves: Neale.Gonsalves@aifoundation.org / (408) 982-9632. For media passes and interviews, please contact Mythili or Kavya Rajan: kavya@aifoundation.org / (212) 891-4637.

About AIF
The American India Foundation (AIF) is a leading international development organization charged with the mission of accelerating social and economic change in India. By mobilizing people and resources across the United States, AIF has raised over $26 million since its inception following the Gujarat earthquake in 2001. AIF operates in three thematic pillars of work: Education, Livelihood, and Public Health. Towards this end, AIF awards grants and administers four flagship programs in India, all of which furthers its development mission. The grantmaking strategy involves identifying projects that build up AIF’s thematic pillars, especially by universalizing elementary education, advancing women’s empowerment and eradicating HIV/AIDS in India. The four programs are: (1) Service Corps Fellowship, developing young American leaders by placing them with Indian NGOs based on Fellows’ skills and NGOs’ needs; (2) Digital Equalizer, bridging the “digital divide” by providing computers, Internet, and training to under-resourced schools; (3) League of Artisans, creating sustainable livelihoods for underprivileged artisans, particularly tribal, rural and women artisans; and (4) Donor Education, informing donors to become strategic philanthropists. AIF works out of New York and the Bay Area in the US, and New Delhi and Bangalore in India. President Bill Clinton serves as Honorary Chair.