6th annual Give a Heart- A Trend Setter event for youth
Simplest Ways of Expressing Love towards Humanity on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is celebrated all over the globe to rejoice love. The young volunteers of Amar Karma Organ Donation Society, however, have been celebrating their 
Valentine’s Day slightly differently for many years- by expressing their love towards humanity through getting people to sign up to be organ donors, to be umbilical cord-blood-donors, and to be hair-donors to cancer upon a haircut.
Team Karma hosted their 6th annual Give a Heart’2016 on February 6, 2016 in association with Canadian Transplant Association at Versailles Convention Center. The event was attended by over 500 people. Many elected Government officials also participated in the event. Among these were: MP Raj Grewal, MP Ruby Sahota, MP Sonia Sidhu, MPP Harinder Malhi, Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon and Prominent Canadian Muslim Scholar, Dr. Hamid Slimi. Brampton West MPP Kamal Khera also conveyed her felicitations to the group by sending an appreciation certificate, for the work that society has been doing in promoting organ and tissue donation within the South Asian Community.
Operations Manager Guru Pabla welcomed the guests by going over the briefs of the activities performed by the Karma Group for past 6 years. The milestones that the organization has set include: forming a large network of volunteers around the globe, creating a buzz about organ and tissue donation in the Greater Toronto Area mainly among the South Asian population. Lately, the society also launched a campaign called “The Cord of Love” which educates the pregnant couples about importance of Umbilical Cord Blood Donation.
The aim for Give a Heart celebration is to set new trends of spreading love towards by expressing it in simplest ways possible: such as by donating blood frequently etc.
At this event many organ recipients were also present to join Amar Karma for their celebration and to convey a word about the upcoming Canadian Transplant Games scheduled to take place in August 2016. Kulwinder Pabla was honoured to be the volunteer of the year, while Surinder Sandhu was awarded to be the Senior volunteer of the year. A student from Punjab University Chandigarh- Taran Dhillon was recognised for his contribution and leadership to the mission by raising awareness, on behalf of Amar Karma, in the region of Punjab. Radhika Goyal, 11 years old student from Morning Star Middle School, who formed a crocheting group called “Amar Karma Crocheting Group” invited her peers to display their handy-crafts at the event to raise funds for Amar Karma.
“Group of Special Sixteens” was another one of highlights of the event as being an annual feature for Give a Heart event.
In this segment, teens turning sixteen sign up to be organ donors, and inspire the next group of sixteens to be ready for the following year to do the same. The display of awareness posters, books, paintings, and handy-crafts turned out to be the major attractions at this event along with many fun activities for children. For more information on how to involve in activities of Amar Karma Organ Donation Society, please visit their website at www.amarkarma.org
