Hi everyone!

We are Anvesha and Anushka Guru, and we are the proud team captains of Team Sai!! 

We started this team in 2017, and we're still going strong. We feel so blessed that we're able to give back to such a vibrant community.

We were first introduced to Susan G Komen at Anushka’s 10th birthday party at Mayfair Mall, when we saw the Komen display for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was there that we met Komen Executive Director Nikki Panico, who has turned into one of our greatest inspirations. 

It was after we were introduced to Komen that I (Anvesha) did my Expert Project at school on breast cancer. The Expert program is a program at our school where elementary school students can pick a topic, do research on it, and present it to students and teachers. I have to say, when I told our mom I was going to research breast cancer, she was a little surprised as to where her 8 year old had pulled that idea from. But I researched, as much as a 3rd grader can, and with the help of our biology teacher, I learned the basic biology of breast cancer, but I learned all about how thousands of men and women are taken by breast cancer every year. I learned about how pretty much anyone could be touched by cancer, and I decided that I had to do whatever I could to stop men and women from dying from this disease. I brought Anushka in on this, and we started Team Sai the following year in 2017. We named it team SAI to honor Sri Sathya Sai Baba, since our family is devotees of His. His main philosophy is doing service to others and that, "Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray." Anushka and I have tried to bring this philosophy into all our endeavors with Team Sai.

Our first year, we had about 10 people and a tiny cardboard sign that my mom made at the registration table because we really had no idea how big and active the Komen community really was. Our goal was $250. In our third year, we raised $1500, and last year we raised almost $5000. It’s been so fulfilling and gratifying to see how our Team Sai family has grown. And now we consider you all a part of it.

Unlike many things in this world, cancer is non-discriminatory. It can truly affect anyone. It’s left severe holes in our own family, and it’s done the same for families all over the world. We all need to do what we can to fight this horrible disease. All your contributions today go towards Susan G Komen through Team Sai in the fight against breast cancer.

PS: Check out some more about our story in our interview with Channel 58!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nscVv4J9Ec