Photo: Contributed

Lieut.-Gov. Judith Guichon will be the guest of honour at this weekend's Diwali dinner in Kelowna.

The sold-out event is organized by the East Meets West Children’s Foundation and is its major fundraiser to support an orphanage in Kolkata, India.  

The Okanagan group also donates to the Starbright Child Development Centre and Karis Support Society locally, and earlier this year helped rescue 10 children from a child-trafficking ring in India.

Diwali is the Indian festival of lights. The colourful celebration will again take place at Rutland Centennial Hall on Saturday evening.

School teacher and board member Pam Samaddar  said she has the responsibility to make a change when she can. As a teacher she wants to show her students "they, too, can make a difference both locally and globally."

"We have had amazing support from people in the Okanagan," said board chair Mohini Singh. "All we want to do is make a difference in the lives of those children who need help."