Casa Riad Fundraiser 2019
On a stunning spring afternoon in the campo, Jóvenes Adelante paid tribute to its largest donor base, Canadians who love SMA, and the organizational partnership with Amistad Canada that makes it possible.
The invitation-only “Casa Riad Salon” gala was held at a private home in Atotonilco. The program “God Bless the Child” featured countertenor Don Krim, pianist Alexander Pashkov, and special guest performers Lady Zen and Paul Voudouris. The event’s silent auction offered a spectacular array of items for guests to peruse. By the end of the afternoon, the event had raised over $16,000 USD.
During the post-concert meal (featuring largely homemade food including dishes prepared by students and their families), co-host, performer and JA’s President-elect Don Krim paid tribute to JA’s many partners, especially Amistad: “Our relationship with Amistad is a win-win. While we help fulfill Amistad’s mission of supporting education, healthcare and social justice, Amistad helps to process Canadian donations and provides income tax receipts. Since JA became an Amistad project, Canadians have donated over a quarter of a million Canadian dollars to our scholarship program.”
Sue Leonard reflected on her many years of service with Jóvenes Adelante, “In the old days, before Amistad, our Canadian donor base was ad hoc and hard to incentivize. People happily gave small amounts, but for recurrent or substantial commitments, Canadians felt marginalized because the tax breaks offered to American donors didn’t apply to them.” Sue smiles, adding, “But when Amistad adopted us as a partner and we were able to offer Canadian tax receipts, Canadian donations took off like a rocket!”
Through this expanded base of individual donors and growing numbers of recurrent donations, Jóvenes Adelante is able to offer more scholarships and services to local students who otherwise would not be able to afford university.
At the Casa Riad event, an anonymous donor offered a matching grant of up to US$24,000, dollar-for-dollar for the 2019 sponsorships pledged by Feb 28th. That means 3 new full sponsorships will result in 6!
SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT:
