indica News Bureau-
Ten year-old Indian American girl scout and her friends who together donated a number of cookie boxes and personalized greeting cards to healthcare workers and other frontline warriors were felicitated by President Donald Trump at a ceremony held in Washington to honor coronavirus heroes.
Sravya Annappareddy, a fourth-grade student at the Hanover Hills Elementary School in Maryland, was honored Trump with Laila Khan (Pakistani American) and Lauren Matney from Troop 744 in Elkridge, Maryland, for their gesture. The three baked snacks, they also sent personalized greeting cards to the coronavirus heroes like doctors, nurses and firefighters.
Felicitating the three 10-year old girls, President Trump said, “The men and women we honor today remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild,” The Washington Times quoted.
Receiving the award Annappareddy said, “Everyone can do something is what our team believed,” said Sravya who thinks she contributed small to a greater workforce, The Hindu reported. “We represented the entire school children of the US,” she said, adding her parents raised her with Indian values and belief of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family).
Khan added, “While we are honored that our troop was invited to be here today, we know that we are just part of the millions of other children out there that are doing amazing things to support their communities, their friends, and their families. It is a privilege to be here representing all of them,”
The three girl scouts also wrote 200 personalized cards for health care workers, reported The Hindu.
Congratulating their little hero, US Embassy in Islamabad tweeted, “Congrats to 10-year-old Laila Khan, a Pakistani-American girl scout recognised by President Trump during a ceremony honouring coronavirus heroes! Laila donated 100 boxes of cookies to local medical workers & firefighters.”
Sravya’s father, Vijay Reddy Annappareddy, originally from Andhra Pradesh, is a pharmacist in Maryland. He hails from Guntur while his wife Seeta Kallam, a medical graduate from Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, hails from Narasaya Palem near Bapatla.
“Recognition from White House was totally unexpected and this would make a huge difference to her life and her ambition to do more for the society,” said Sravya’s father adding that she and her brother Aviv also volunteer for various community services.
[Photo courtesy:Twitter]
