HYDERABAD: Thousands of people, activists of TRS, ministers, legislators, professionals, movie personalities, celebrities and many others greeted TRS working president KT Rama Rao on his birthday on Wednesday. Most of them Rama Rao’s “GiftASmile challenge” as well.
Rama Rao’s well-wishers had launched the #GiftASmileChallenge campaign in an attempt to encourage people to donate generously — ‘gift’ a smile to someone. The challenge had begun with a particular well-wisher of Rama Rao who donated prosthetic limbs to a Praveen from Nirmal district. Praveen had sought Rama Rao’s help through Twitter, however even before the TRS working president could respond he got the help he needed.
While the challenge was going viral online, Rama Rao too tweeted, asking people to not get him bouquets, cakes or splurge on advertisements and hoardings.
One of several personalities to take up the challenge was Consul-General of the United States, Katherine Hadda, who donated books to a charity. She tweeted: “To #GiftaSmile, I’m donating from my personal funds to a favourite local charity that provides English language books and instruction to underserved children. English opens doors!”
TRS Rajya Sabha member Joginapally Santosh Kumar came forward to adopt a forest in Keesara. He tweeted: “On the occasion of Bday of my beloved brother, our WP KTR Garu, as a part of a gift of a smile, I am adopting “Keesara Rs Forest Development” as ecotourism park with my MP Funds, which is spread over in 2,042 Acres. I am sure, it will be a lung space and great destination to Citizens.”
TRS MLC K Naveen Rao, who was one of the first to take up the challenge donated `10,00,116 to Ramdev Rao Memorial Trust so that it could buy an ambulance. He tweeted: “#HappyBirthdayKTR @ktrtrs anna, I have donated Rs 10,00,116/- for an ambulance with life saving equipment to Sivananda Rehabilitation home , Ramdev Memorial Trust, Kukatpally under #GiftASmileChallenge.” He also donated another `10 lakh to Cyberabad Police and handed over a cheque for the same to Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar for the installation of CCTv cameras as part of their “Nighanetram” (Hawk’s eye).
City Mayor Bonthu Rammohan donated a prosthetic limb to a person from LB Nagar. Some people donated notebooks, others text books, school uniforzms. Some enthusiasts even donated blood. TRS leader M Rajasekhara Reddy vowed to conduct a blood donation camp on Thursday for the benefit of Thalassaemia patients. At another place, Rama Rao’s admirers donated groceries to an orphanage.
Actor Naresh led the movie artistes in organising a blood donation camp at Chitrapuri Colony. NRIs too took part in the activity. TRS NRI Cell Founder Anil Kurmachalam tweeted: “Hunger has no Region, Religion and Boundaries. On the eve of our beloved #Leader @KTRTRS Birthday helped the homeless with food and water in this hot weather around my workplace in London. #HappyBirthdayKTR Stay blessed Anna.”
Film artistes pitch in
Actor Naresh led several movie artistes in organising a blood donation camp at Chitrapuri Colony in Hyderabad. Actor Vijay Devarakonda pledged to develop a ‘mini forest’