Diwali Celebration: Festival of Lights
2019 Event Highlights
More than 125 guests were treated to a taste of Indian culture at Lowell General Hospital’s Clark Auditorium on Friday, October 25, 2019 to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.
Diwali is a five-day annual festival taking place in the fall and is one of India’s most popular and important holidays. Celebrated by over a billion people around the world, Diwali symbolizes the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness, represented with lighting homes and public areas with small oil lamps or candles called diyas.
The annual event, now in its second year, was organized as both a celebration and fundraiser for the hospital by a committee of several Lowell General Hospital physicians including Co-Chairs Ana Gunturi, MD, and Tushar Patel, MD, as well as Sonali Ayar, MD, and Supriya Rao, MD.
Attendees, many adorned in traditional Indian clothing, enjoyed food, music, dancing, henna, and special performances. Jody White, President and CEO of Circle Health and Lowell General Hospital had the honor of lighting the ceremonial diya.
Event proceeds benefit cancer patients and their families through TeamWalk for CancerCare. Thanks to generous sponsors and supporters, close to $16,000 was raised, more than doubling last year.
Sponsors included Platinum Sponsors Commonwealth Radiology and Tufts Health Plan Senior Products, Gold Sponsors Pathology Associates of Lowell and Arthur M. Lauretano, MD, of Circle Health, Silver Sponsors Damian Folch, MD, Family Practice and Jim and Cece Lynch, and Bronze Sponsors Dr. Terry and Phyllis Howard, GI Consultants of Greater Lowell, Lowell General Hospital WomanHealth, Massachusetts ENT Associates, Moonstones Restaurant, and Shields Healthcare Group.
Stay tuned for details on the highly anticipated 3rd Annual Diwali Celebration in November 2020. For event inquiries, contact Kacey Decker at Kacey.Decker@lowellgeneral.org or 978-937-6430.