The Sarala Bathena Foundation became an official 501C non-profit in 2014, but fundraising activities that promote its mission started back in 2007. Sarala was diagnosed with late stage renal carcinoma in the summer of 2003 and she passed away in 2006, 2 days shy of her 46th birthday. She was a selfless woman that always put others first. She always had a passion for helping children in need and it definitely pained her to see children dealing with cancer, whenever she was in the hospital getting tests, treatments or care. Those 3 years were very difficult for the whole Bathena family and their extended family, but they at least had the financial resources to give her the best care possible and they exhausted every option that was out there.

 

The Bathena's started thinking about families that didn't have the luxury to give their loved ones the best care and they wanted to help. They started hosting annual wine tasting events in 2007 and the proceeds from the first 2 years were used to start the Sarala Bathena Cancer Patient Care Fund at the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Foundation. The Foundation also started hosting an annual golf outing in 2010 and these 2 events have helped us raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, over the years. We have donated money to such diverse organizations as Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, Ashley Lauren Foundation, Red Cross of India, Family & Friends of Ella Mae and York Street Project.

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