ARLINGTON, TX: The Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands proudly celebrated its 9th anniversary with a memorable Signature Event spotlighting service, leadership, and community transformation. The celebration included a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony to honor the club’s chartering on April 13, 2016, marking nearly a decade of impactful service and global fellowship.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow Award—one of Rotary International’s most prestigious honors. This year’s distinguished recipients included Dr. Shabana Parvez, Indian-American physician, entrepreneur, and current President of the Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands, along with Jim Swann and Sue Welch, who were recognized for their outstanding contributions as Rotarians of the Year—the club’s highest internal distinction. Their Paul Harris Fellowships were generously sponsored by Past President Paul Brodie and President Nominee Becky Gerro, who each sponsor two Paul Harris Fellows annually to support and celebrate service excellence within the club.

Indian American Dr. Shabana Parvez is the first Indian origin President of the Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands

Also honored were returning Paul Harris Fellows Becky Gerro, Paul Brodie, and Barbara Brodie, with Barbara receiving an additional distinction—the Blue Sapphire Pin—signifying an elevated level of contribution to The Rotary Foundation.

The evening took on global significance as Dr. Tausif Malik, Indian-American entrepreneur and founder of RiseBack—the world’s first affordable and inclusive EdTech platform—announced the official registration of RiseBack’s Global Headquarters in Arlington, Texas. In recognition of his pioneering work in democratizing access to higher education, Dr. Malik was inducted as an Honorary Rotarian.

Serving as the event’s Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross delivered an inspiring address celebrating the city’s rich diversity, rapid economic development, and rising status as “The Dream City of America.” He warmly welcomed RiseBack’s HQ, emphasizing Arlington’s commitment to innovation and education.

Another milestone highlighted during the celebration was the “Start Here, Go Anywhere” Initiative—a transformative collaboration between the Rotary Club and RiseBack. Already launched earlier this year, the initiative was showcased through a compelling video presentation by Club President Dr. Shabana Parvez, offering attendees a firsthand look at its growing impact.

As the Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands embarks on its 10th year of service, the anniversary event reaffirmed its commitment to local and global impact through innovation, inclusion, and empowerment.

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NEW DELHI: Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector 8, Faridabad has announced the launch of their new initiative ‘Victorious Hearts’ – a new program that provides 26 free heart surgeries for children from the underprivileged sector with congenital heart defects. This initiative, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Faridabad, will be launched on the occasion of January 26, India’s 75^th Republic Day, aiming to celebrate and uphold the country’s promise of sovereignty and equality to every citizen.

This brand-new CSR program will not only involve heart surgeries but also a screening program at Sarvodaya Hospital to identify children with underlying cardiac conditions or those showing early symptoms of potential heart complications. The program will continue to run even after 26^th January. Sarvodaya Hospital plans to continue the screening indefinitely and if needed, provide more surgeries, on a case-by-case basis.

Dr Rakesh Gupta, Chairman, of Sarvodaya Healthcare spoke about the initiative, “We aim to raise awareness about paediatric congenital heart defects, potential treatments, and the critical importance of timely intervention. We have already conducted many free cardiac surgeries for children in the past with the support of other organizations and generous individuals. We also welcome other community members to contribute to the noble cause. We plan to make it a recurring initiative that can help these young men and women lead long, healthy lives. I would request everyone to join the initiative and contact us at 9355258181 if you know any child who needs help.”

The hospital has one of the most renowned pediatric cardiac units in the city and the country, comprised of several experienced pediatric cardiac experts and surgeons. A state-of-the-art Cath lab is part of the infrastructure available at the hospital, allowing for timely diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and complete rehabilitation and recovery of patients and in particular, children who suffer from heart-related concerns.

Dr Viresh Mahajan, Director of Paediatric Cardiac Science, at Sarvodaya Hospital, explained the importance of the initiative. “Congenital heart defects (CHDs) can have severe implications on the child’s health, causing symptoms like rapid heartbeat, difficulty in feeding, respiratory issues, weakness, poor growth and development, hole in the heart, heart attack, etc. Through this program, we can hopefully diagnose and treat these problems before they become significant threats to the child’s well-being.” 

The Victorious Hearts initiative is the newest in a long line of initiatives taken by Sarvodaya Healthcare. Previous cardiac initiatives included free pediatric cardiac surgeries for children from India, Afghanistan, and Guyana. The team performs more than 1000 pediatric cardiac surgeries per year.

Further, the hospital has performed free cochlear implant surgeries on over 250 children, with the support of the government’s ADIP scheme, and provided them with a comprehensive support program post-implant. Like the Victorious Hearts initiative, the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” initiative saw the hospital deliver 25 baby girls, free-of-cost.

Beyond providing care, Sarvodaya Healthcare also conducts weekly free health checkup camps, health talks, health awareness activities, and more in nearby localities for both children and adults, as well as free mammography screening programs for breast cancer awareness and prevention.

Sarvodaya Hospital reiterates its commitment to public healthcare and hopes to provide cutting-edge solutions to the marginalized communities in the NCR region through all such initiatives.

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