DIL News 2009 - Winter
DIL Events Raise Over $1,300,000 in 2008
The 2008 DIL New York Gala "Renewing Commitments-Transforming Lives" was held at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on November 21st. The cheerful energy of the 300 guests in attendance, defied the economic headwinds on the street and turned the evening into a spectacular show of support for DIL. Reza Aslan, author of “There is no God but God” delivered the keynote address.
The Benefit Committee as usual did an amazing job of organizing the event and bringing everyone together to create a very special evening. The auction had more than 50 donated items, and Maarten ten Holder of Sotheby’s volunteered his services to help run the live auction. This year was a first for DIL New York to “reverse’ auction a DIL school in the Acumen Fund sponsored Saiban affordable housing project outside Lahore; all components of the school including the land, classrooms, furniture supplies, teacher salaries, computer lab and playground equipment were successfully auctioned off.
Farooq Kathwari , CEO Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. and Jacqueline Novogratz , founder & CEO of Acumen Fund were among the attendees. The feedback from the guests was very positive.
San Francisco
The San Francisco Chapter held its annual fundraising gala on November 8th in Palo Alto with nearly 300 guests in attendance. Emcees Zakia Rahman and Zia Yusuf started the evening with a moment of silence in honor of the three DIL students who lost their lives in the Baluchistan earthquake.
Sun Microsystems Chairman and Co-Founder, Scott McNealy gave the keynote address in which he talked about his desire to spread education to remote villages through the Internet .
Sara Abbasi, founder of the SF Chapter and President of DIL’s Executive Board, related a moving story and reassured guests that “despite political threats, our schools are doing better than ever.”
The evening concluded with a fashion show by Karma, one of Pakistan's leading fashion houses. The event raised nearly $80,000 thanks to DIL’s friends and supporters in the Bay Area.
San Diego
A fundraising dinner was held at the residence of Salman and Riffi Ahmed in late August. The evening commenced with an exhibition of Sadequain’s paintings. Salman Ahmed, a nephew of the late artist, founded the Sadequain Foundation, which is dedicated to preserve and promote the artwork of Sadequain.
The evening included a dinner under the stars, a live auction and lively Pakistani music. Due to the hard work and dedication of our board and volunteers, over $60,000 was raised by the San Diego chapter.
Earlier in the year, Nadya Khan, a board member, requested contributions to DIL in lieu of gifts at her husband’s graduation party. This event helped introduce new donors to DIL.
Los Angeles
DIL LA held its annual fundraiser on Sunday, August 17, 2008 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The event raised over $500,000 for DIL’s educational programs in Pakistan. More than 350 guests enjoyed the brunch event hosted by Dr. Meher F. Tabatabai and Mr. Syed Qaiser Madad. Because the event expenses were covered entirely by the hosts, all proceeds from ticket sales and donations will go directly to funding DIL school projects in Pakistan.
The event included a live auction and speeches by Dr. Tabatabai and DIL Founder and CEO, Fiza Shah. Dr. Tabatabai noted that she is the product of a Pakistani education and her success as a physician has been the result of that education. She shared her desire that one day all Pakistani girls will have access to the quality education that she has been able to provide her own two daughters.
Ottawa
The DIL Toronto 2008 Fundraiser took place at the elegant theatre at the Museum of Civilization. Almost 300 people attended this delightful evening that showcased dances and music from the East and the West. The Thai Dance Troupe of Ottawa delighted the audience with their performances. Irish and Indian dancers performed with the band Delhi2Dublin to their toe tapping mixture of Irish and Indian music.
The chief guests were Hon. Musa Chohan, High Commissioner of Pakistan and Hon. Chris Bentley, Attorney General of Ontario. Two youngsters, Saba and her brother Danyal launched their album at the fundraiser and donated close to $1,300 to DIL from their album sales. The night was a great success and raised CAD $23,000 for DIL programs.
Toronto
DIL Toronto's 2008 gala, 'Bella Noche' was held on October 25th, 2008 at one of Toronto's most exclusive landmarks, The Granite Club.
Over 300 guests experienced a night of elegance, fine dining, Latin glamour, dazzling Latin dance performances, silent auction and DJ Rajan spinning some amazing music! The event was a major success, raising CAD $70,000!
Among the many dignitaries who attended was Tassaduq Hussain, the Counsel General of Pakistan and John Tory, Leader of the Opposition, regular patrons of the DIL Toronto Gala.
Washington, DC
The Washington, DC Chapter of DIL held its Annual Fundraiser / Eid Gala Benefit on October 3rd, 2008 at the McLean Hilton in Virginia.
Nearly 200 guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening of music and dancing. The chief guest was the current Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani.
In his speech, Ambassador Haqqani highlighted the importance of education and the role of DIL in providing quality schooling for needy children in Pakistan.
The popular singer Jimmy Atree delighted guests with his performance.
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