A Brilliant Birthday Benefit – Thank You!

Larry and Wavy Drawing

With headliners that included Lucinda Williams and Seth MacFarlane as host, San Francisco’s August Hall lived up to its name when Larry Brilliant’s 80th birthday celebration rolled onto its stage on August 24.

Along with BFF Wavy Gravy and his wife Jahanara Romney, Larry and Girija Brilliant, and a few hundred friends and colleagues filled the venue with what can only be described as love. Jai and Ezra Uttal, Krishna Das, and Salman Ahmed spun their special magic as they strummed and sang. Seth MacFarlane crooned songbook favorites and made the entire house – performers and audience – feel like part of the Seva community.

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LOVE, MUSIC AND LIGHT:  Our Sing Out For Seva Quarantine Concert was a hit!

Joan Baez, Wavy Gravy, and Steve Earle.

Over Valentine’s Day weekend, Seva supporters spread the love in the most memorable way possible – through music, fun, and festivities! 

From February 11-14, we held our popular Sing Out For Seva Quarantine Concert – A Valentine’s Special, featuring never before seen archival footage from past benefit concerts. Viewers tuned in from all over the world and sang along to Crosby & Nash, Joan Baez & David Grisman, Jason Mraz, Los Lobos, Bob Weir & Steve Kimock, and many more star-studded performances. The one and only Wavy Gravy hosted the concert and also featured special guests Rising Appalachia, Elvin Bishop, and Dumpstaphunk.

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Marking 10+ years of impact for children in India with Soor Aur Saptak


Soor Aur Saptak’s theme this year was “Your Melody Matches Mine” – a night filled with endless music, dance, and joy – all to raise funds for Seva’s pediatric eye care programs in India.

In late February, Indian-American singing group Soor Aur Saptak (SAS) held its eleventh annual musical benefit in Portland, Oregon. The theme of this year’s benefit was “Your melody matches mine,” and rightly so. It was a captivating night of Bollywood music, dancing, and singing – all while raising funds to provide eye care for children in India.

Sandhiprakash Bhide, Founder of Soor Aur Saptak, shared, “we cannot believe it has been 11 years since we started this program back in 2012. This would not have been possible without the generous Portland community and now the world community because of our online program.”

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Rap to Unwrap Unhappiness

Two boys in Tibet (China) with prayer flags - by Jon Kaplan.
Two boys in Tibet (China) with prayer flags – by Jon Kaplan. This photo is available as a gift card through Gifts of Sight.

You know how the holidays are filled with joyous music, spreading cheer far and wide? Well, we have a treat for you today! Our youth outreach team in Nepal created a jingle about the importance of eye care. It may not be a familial holiday tune, but it has the same spirit and energy this time of year brings to all of us.

Listen to the full clip and follow along with the translations below:

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Beauty & Soul at Sing Out for Seva 2021

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Photo: Rising Appalachia for Seva’s 3rd Virtual Quarantine Concert: Sing Out for Seva!

From March 26-28, musicians, singers, and supporters gathered together online for our annual “Sing Out for Seva” concert. For three wonderful days, artists helped raise funds for Seva’s programs and threw a bright, beautiful celebration of all we’ve managed to accomplish this year. On popular demand, the concert streaming was extended till April 11th. This was the third virtual concert benefiting Seva that has taken place since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

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