Subhead: Restaurant hosts around 60 children for games, entertainment, a special meal and gifts, brings smiles to their faces
Surat: Children’s Day is not just an occasion to celebrate but also an opportunity to bring happiness to children. Keeping this thought at the centre of its annual initiative, Spice Villa Restaurant in Surat celebrated the occasion with children from orphanages, continuing an exemplary tradition that has been observed for the past 14 years.
This year, the restaurant hosted around 60 children. The programme included games and various recreational activities, with a special anchor engaged to organise and entertain the children. A special meal was served, and each child also received a gift as part of the celebration.
The initiative aimed to give children living in orphanages an opportunity to get away from their everyday life and enjoy a day of entertainment.
Creating a sense of belonging
Umesh Pavasiya of Spice Villa Restaurant said they had been organising such celebrations with orphaned children on Children’s Day for the past 14 years. He said, the idea was to give children who are growing up without parents the experience of dining at a restaurant, playing games and receiving gifts, and show them that there are people in society who care about their happiness.
“This occasion is not just about organising an event for these children. It is about spending happy moments with them, making them feel special and creating memories together. Every child deserves love, encouragement, happiness and equal opportunities to move forward in life. No child should feel deprived of happiness or that they have no place in society,” Pavasiya said.
He further said that the initiative had become an annual tradition for the restaurant and reflected its belief that responsibilities of a business extend beyond serving customers.
“As a business, we are part of the society in which we operate, and we have a responsibility to contribute positively to it. Through this initiative, we also hope to encourage more businesses and people to support those from underprivileged sections of society in whatever way they can,” he said.
Children’s happiness the biggest reward
Pavasiya said the happiness on the children’s faces was the most rewarding part of the initiative. While the restaurant serves hundreds of guests every day, he said, spending time with these children, serving them food with affection and seeing them enjoy the occasion brought a different kind of satisfaction.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the entire Pavasiya Hospitality team in organising the programme and ensuring that the children had an enjoyable experience.
An appeal to other businesses
Pavasiya noted that contributing to society did not necessarily require a large budget or the support of a big organisation. Even small gestures, such as spending time with someone, offering a meal or bringing a smile to a child’s face, can make a big difference.
“Every business should try to give back to society according to its capacity. Business is not only about achieving financial success. Our responsibility towards the people around us is equally important,” he added.
