Philanthropic residents gather at the W Atlanta – Buckhead
ATLANTA (Aug. 7, 2009) – Philanthropic-minded residents and sponsors unite to host the second annual Atlanta Food For The Poor event, Seeds of Hope, Friday, Sept. 18 at the W Atlanta – Buckhead. Event proceeds will provide a Haitian fishing village and teach residents to fish and feed themselves for a lifetime.
Atlanta’s 104.7 FM The FISH morning team hosts Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott will act as masters of ceremony. In July 2008, the two traveled to Lully, Haiti, with Food For The Poor to dedicate the fishing village built with 2008 event proceeds. They saw firsthand the incredible size difference between fish caught close to shore in leaky, hand-carved boats, and miles offshore with the assistance of new fiberglass boats and outboard engines.
Seeds of Hope principal sponsors, W Atlanta – Buckhead and renowned restaurant MARKET, will prepare an elegant dining experience for guests, featuring Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s contemporary cuisine. The evening will include live music and dancing. Silent auction prizes will entice guests to purchase exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, as well as designer jewelry, vacations, golf packages and more.
Event Chairwoman Lynn Hanna’s commitment, leadership and enthusiasm has helped to make the event a success. Committee members include Debbie Gatti, Marylouise Fitzgibbon, Susie Morrison, Kathy Murphy, Debbie Pelerose, Carolyn Shadeed, Nawal Shadeed, and Margaret Stenglein.
Seeds of Hope sponsors include: American Nicaraguan Foundation, April Nagel, Bank of America, Freeman, Mathis & Gary, LLP, and The Periera Family.
For additional event and ticket information, please contact Kathy Leggatt by phone at (888) 404-4248, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Fishing villages provide Haitians with a long-term sustainable solution to the country’s food crisis. Food For The Poor has established 24 fishing villages in what were once impoverished Haitian coastal communities. Destitute fishermen are outfitted with everything needed to catch deep-sea fish such as queen snapper, kingfish and yellow-eye snapper. Fishermen who once struggled to feed their children can now catch combined totals of 300 to 400 pounds of fish per day.
Each fishing village receives four 22-foot fiberglass boats with outboard engines, 100-quart coolers, safety equipment, fishing equipment and tackle, a gear shed for equipment storage, global positioning system (GPS), solar-powered street lights and freezers to store catches and sell them to local markets.
Food For The Poor’s fishing villages benefit not only the fishermen, but also their families and communities. Recipients of the fishing boats are taught deep-sea fishing and business practices that are both ecologically friendly and economically sound.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, feeds millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 1982, we have provided clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and emergency relief, with more than 96 percent of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor. For additional information please visit our Web site at www.foodforthepoor.org
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Marketing and Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]