18 th Annual Gala Dinner of Hamdard Attracts 900 Supporters
By Dr Mujahid Ghazi
Glimpses of the Eighteenth Gala Dinner organized by the Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services
Chicago : Supporters of Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services celebrated the success of the organization by showing up in large number at the 18 th Gala dinner last Saturday. It was a packed crowd of 900 which witnessed one of the most organized and masterly done events at the Donald Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont Illinois.
Addressing the massive gathering, Dr. Mohammad Hamid, Co-founder and Chairman, said Hamdard will soon be launching a new domestic violence shelter as part of the capital campaign started two years ago. He also introduced new Associate Executive Director Kiran Siddiqi. A live auction of different items and projects was masterly done by a professional auctioneer Vinnie who raised 71,000 dollars in 20 minutes. Business class airline tickets for two to any destination in the world were donated by Lufthansa and Etehad airlines.
Hamdard Center 2010 Fazana Hamid Community Service Awards were given to Ravi Baichwal, co-anchor of ABC 7 weekend news, for emceeing these gala dinners since 2006 and Dr. Muhammad Saudye, a cardiologist, for his services to clients of the Hamdard Center.
Star attraction of the Gala Dinner was a fashion show organized by “The Designer Studios” of Chicago. CEO Luna Banuri did a phenomenal job by inviting famous Pakistani designer Omar Saeed to bring his beautiful dress line to the Chicago audience. The show was masterly orchestrated and professional models were uniquely chosen to present the best of Pakistani dresses. There were 13 female and 2 male models that brought charismatic fusion to the stage. There was also a clothing line from another fashion maestro Shamaeel.
To add to this successful event Dr. Raza Ali brought Amjad Sabri Qawwal with a completely new team. He and his team entertained the audience with new and old classics into the early hours of the next day.
Dinner was catered by Sabri Nehari Restaurant and the sound was managed by Mehmood Minhas.
The young and talented event planners Roohi and Reema and their team of volunteers deserve commendation for the great job they did.
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