Dublin High Senior Raises Over $3K for Visually Impaired Students with Inspirational Birthday Fundraiser

This year, Dublin High senior Raajika Thorat chose a different kind of birthday celebration. Instead of gifts or parties, she asked her community to donate to the Help The Blind Foundation (HTBF) in India a chance to change lives. Raajika, who’s also in the Las Positas Middle College program, used her birthday as a platform to launch a community fundraiser for the Help the Blind Foundation (HTBF) in India. Inspired by her grandfather's stories and her own work with patients at the optometrist where she works, she didn't just ask for gifts she asked her community to invest in a cause bigger than herself. “Hearing my grandpa talk about the students at HTBF and their stories… it just hit different,” Raajika explained. “And then seeing similar challenges with patients at my job, I knew I had to do something. I wanted my birthday to have a real impact.”

HTBF’s mission is to empower students with visual impairments through education, skills training, and support, helping them overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. To bring this mission to life for her donors, Raajika gave a speech and presentation with videos and pictures of the actual HTBF students, showing their journeys firsthand. “It was important for people to see where their money was going and who it was helping. It wasn’t just an abstract idea, they could see the real people and their successes,” she said. The fundraiser wasn't a solo mission. Her grandfather, Mr. Dattatraya Kadwe, an active HTBF volunteer, was there to share his own powerful experiences. She also got direct support from HTBF team members Mrs. Deepa, Mrs. Patel, Mrs. Bhavani, and Mr. Shivaji Rao, who hopped on the call to answer questions.

The result? An incredible $3,200 (approx. ₹250,000) raised, enough to provide annual scholarships for over 20 students. Raajika matched the donations with her own earnings from her internship at the Youth Mental Health Academy. She put her money where her mouth is, proving that you’re never too young to make a difference. The event drew about 50 community members, including many young kids who got a powerful inspiration of empathy and action. Raajika, now the Youth Ambassador for HTBF, plans to work with more youth from local schools and communities to raise awareness about blindness and visual impairment among young children.