Tag Archives: Events
Thaakat Presents: “Dinner for Dreams,” 3rd Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction
FEATURING Master of Ceremonies, Comedian ABBAS RATTANI!
Location: Monty’s Banquets, Bensenville IL
Time/Date: 7PM Doors Open/ Thursday, August 02, 2012
RSVP to HOLD YOUR SEAT and/or purchase your tickets at:
http://tinyurl.com/ThaakatsDinnerForDreams
Hosting the program for the evening will be Comedian and Master of Ceremonies- Abbas Rattani!
This 2nd of August, we would like to welcome you in joining us at Thaakat’s 3rd Annual Charity Benefit Dinner. We would like to welcome people, families, students, & yes we’ll even accommodate for friendly vampires.
*100% of contributions earned from your dinner ticket will go towards Thaakat’s global aid projects.
Tickets:
– $20 In advance & at the door with a student ID
– $25 At the door otherwise
Doors will open at 7PM
Program to begin at 730PM SHARP
If you would like to donate an item or certificate to the silent auction please email thaakat@gmail.com with the title “I WANT TO GIVE BACK”
Look forward to seeing everyone there!
**Abbas Rattani has opened for reknown comics like Kenan Thompson of All That and SNL and Wyatt Cenac from the Daily Show. He is truly a “stand up” individual and he may look rather familiar to you as an actor and director for his popular “Sh*t Muslims Say” video on youtube.
View more at www.abbasrattani.com
Sponsors:
-Studio 615 Photography
-REMIII
..More coming soon!
2nd Annual “Hoops for Hunger” Basketball Tournament: Success!
Thaakat’s 2nd Annual Basketball Tournament this weekend was a great success! It could not have been possible without the support of some generous sponsors, incredible volunteers, and dedicated teams and fans!
The two day event, which took place at the Oak Brook Park District in Oak Brook, Il, brought together 16 teams competing to win all while playing for a good cause. Several spectators came to watch the event and a few lucky ones walked away with some pretty sweet raffle prizes! A bags tournament and free throw contest for the girls and boys also brought on a few more lucky winners who also walked away with very cool prizes. But perhaps the most exciting aspect of the event was when our very own Secretary of State Mr. Jesse White strolled in with his Tumblers for an eye-catching performance of the most thrilling acrobatics we’ve ever seen! The Jesse White Tumblers put on one spectacular show during half-time of final game day, leaving all of us pretty amazed.
Congratulations to “Team Ruckus” on a staggering win this weekend and to the “DFL Boyz” who came in a very close 2nd place! Brownhub was generous enough to award the grand prize to each player on the winning team with a certificate for a 3 day, 2 nights stay at a 3-4 star hotel in a US city of their choice! Thank you Brownhub for the amazing prize for our winners!
All proceeds from the event benefited Thaakat’s Plumpy’nut campaign; providing malnourished children suffering from the famine in Africa with a miracle packaged paste called Plumpy’nut, eaten straight from the wrapper and proven to effectively treat and cure acute malnutrition. This little life saving treat will be saving thousands of children!
Thank you to all who were a part of making this an unforgettable event! We can’t wait to see you again (along with some of you new faces) next year!
Soul Food: An Iftar Benefit, Breaks Boundaries and Helps Those in Need
By: Denish Ghayal/Creative Director/Thaakat Foundation
On the evening of August 11, 2011, Thaakat Foundation gathered a passionate group of over 200 individuals at Reza’s Restaurant in Lombard ready to break bread and help rebuild the lives of the unfortunate suffering in Sierra Leone, Africa and Kachra Kundi, Pakistan. The evening commenced with ‘iftar’, which refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib (sunset) time.
It was time to eat, and the sweet scent of dates filled the air, as they are the first thing to be consumed when the fast is broken. “Oohs and Ahhs,” could be heard throughout the room as the beef and chicken sizzled on the hot plates that were being served. Hunger from those fasting for Ramadan was quickly pacified as the savory tender meat and cool raita (a yogurt sauce) was consumed. Fasting the whole day can give someone perspective as to what it’s like to go without a meal in other underprivileged parts of the world. No food item was taken for granted and all that was left were empty plates and stomachs filled with satisfaction.
While many Muslims were in attendance, I was pleased to see participation from people of a different religious and cultural background, which included myself, as I am a Hindu. This was not an event focused around religion, but more importantly, hope and compassion; the hope of getting closer to an unequivocally fair lifestyle for those suffering all around the world and the compassion of those in attendance who support the Thaakat projects and mission. With the huge success of the iftar dinner from the prior year, this year’s iftar proved to be an even bigger event with an abundance of volunteers. Support showed its face in many ways; while it important to donate money and other items such as food and clothing, it is also imperative to get involved hands on through volunteering, which really helps you to understand and truly invest yourself in projects that you choose to support.
For this iftaar event, two major projects were of focus as well as a local project. The first project is in Sierra Leone, Africa, where Thaakat funds will be used to help build a Maternity Center for the impoverished village and for residents in surrounding communities. Given that the hospitals in the area are miles away, many women are left to give birth in unsanitary conditions. This new Center will help to protect women and their newborns from any complications during birth.
Another project underway is in Kachra Kundi, Pakistan, where Thaakat Funds will be use to improve an educational facility for 250 students, which will be minutes away from the village. Via a partnership with Em[POWER] Energy Group and Al Khair Foundation the we are hoping to provide residents with a renewed sense of hope and future. The people in Kachra Kundi are not only faced with a lack of education, but also deprived of simple necessities such as electricity and clean water.
The local project was issued to help struggling families during the time or Ramadan by supplying them with a one-month supply basket filled with non-perishable food and other useful household supplies. The Thaakat basket project was a success with having sold 13+ to date at a sponsorship cost of $100. The Thaakat baskets made it easy for anyone willing to donate; a group of four people could donate a basket to a family at $25 each.
Thanks to all in attendance who donated and those contributing through our website, we have raised a total of $10,000+ within a month. The iftaar dinner was truly a night to remember with speeches, a video, delicious food, and most of all, avid supporters.
As Joplin Grapples With The Aftermath of The Tornado, We Ask Ourselves How We Can Help
In the wake of the disaster, hear how one local institution strives to provide spirit and life in Joplin, Missouri
An Insider’s Perspective From Ozarks Food Harvest
The massive twister leveled 30% of the comfy and otherwise welcoming town of Joplin, Missouri. 124 people perished in the tornado that rippled through the city and as rescue squads screened the areas, stories of heros and victims came to light. There was the heroic account of the Pizza Hut manager who lost his life trying to keep the doors shut to save his customers and employees, “He just had a general care for everybody,” said his girlfriend. Numerous police and firefighters left their families to put their lives on the front line and elderly couples salvaged their belongings now with no where to go.
In the wake of the madness, the heroics of those in the communities surrounding Joplin started to shine through. Shelters, volunteers, churches and average people pulled up their sleeves and made the commitment to help.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with Denise Gibson, Director of Development and Communications at Ozarks Food Harvest.
In response to the tornado devastation in Joplin, Ozarks Food Harvest has secured many truckloads of food items and supplies that continue to be delivered to the affected areas.
Founded in 1983, Ozarks Food Harvest (OFH) is the only food bank in southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 nonprofit hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties.
We wanted to be able to share Denise’s perspective of the emergency area at the time of the tornado as well as where it stands today.
As soon as the tornado hit we started making calls, we wanted to call on the safety of those who were in Joplin, Missouri. We couldn’t get through and we couldn’t get our trucks on the road because the search and rescue teams had closed everything off. About 7,000 homes were destroyed and other shelters and institutions in the area were in shambles.
Typically when a tornado hits, its regular path hits an area and then bounces up and down and continues this until it disappears. This tornado went straight through the town, it was approximately 1 mile wide and and rippled through 30% of the town. The amount of devastation it caused was truly a surreal picture unless you were there to live it and see it.
In the first four weeks, we sent 44 truckloads of food, about 1 million dollars in food and supplies to different points of distribution. We had one woman who had been living in a tent with her children in the backyard. Instead of having to travel day in and day out to a church where they might be able to eat, she was able to get to one of our nearby distribution centers so that she could take food back to her tent and could have family dinners. We were able to provide her with the only feeling of normalcy she had at that point.
Now that it has been seven weeks, the devastation is still mind boggling. Hospital windows were blown out, the tornado shook huge concrete buildings off of their foundation, I can remember the crisp image of baby pools flipped upside down on rooftops. People are working very hard to clean up the lumber and debris but its going to take more than just people. They need machinery out there to haul things away and bulldozers to help clean off the rocks and dirt that hold bad memories. There are so many great people helping and volunteering and for that the city of Joplin is thankful.
Thank you to Denise for sharing her story with us. Thaakat Foundation will be dedicating this summer to raising funds for the victims of Joplin. Proceeds will be donated to Ozarks Food Harvest where they are working to provide hope to an area and people where it is much needed.
We would like to launch our plea for donations for Joplin, Missouri. This summer, Thaakat will be dedicating it’s local campaigns to raising funds for Ozarks Food Harvest so that we may raise the hopes of those in Joplin together.
Please help us by donating at http://thaakat.wordpress.com/donate/
Thaakat Hoopfest: Charity Basketball Tournament This Weekend!
Cheer on your favorite players and come out for a good time. Please inquire at thaakat@gmail.com to request additional details.
Tournament will take place at North Brunswick Township Highschool in New Jersey (enter through the entrance at the back of the building)
Preliminary games will begin on Saturday July 9, 2011 (9:30 am-4pm). Final rounds will take place on Sunday July 10, 2011 (9:30am-4pm)
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We don’t want this to be your typical, so serious tournament. Rather we want people that enjoy the game to come out and play for a cause while having a good time. Thaakat Hoopfest will include live musical performances, guest DJs, free throw contests, and much more.
Proceeds will benefit the Ozark Food Harvest of Southern Missiouri and Bright Futures of Joplin Missouri.
We will also be holding a bone marrow registration drive at the event, if you haven’t signed up to be the change yet, stop by our tables for a quick 30 second SWAB to get you on the registry.
Spectator tickets: $5
Event will be sponsored by some of your favorite local businesses, stay tuned for raffles, prizes and special giveaways for our players and audience members.
We would like to THANK the following businesses for helping to make this happen:
Kairo Kafe, Caramel Haifa, Winmark, Taj Palace, Profound Aesthetic, Kabab Paradise, San Remo Pizza and Tastee Subs
Food, snacks and beverages will be available !
GET READY TO BRING IT! 14 teams, How bad do YOU want it?
Thaakat Aims To Ramp Up Registrations for Be The Match®, Bone Marrow Registry
Brought to you by: Omar Salim/Community Service Ambassador/Thaakat Foundation
Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases need a bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant and depend on the Be The Match Registry ® to find a match.*
Finding a match: The basics For a successful transplant, a patient needs a matching donor. Special testing determines whether a patient and a bone marrow donor or umbilical cord blood are a good match. The closer the match, the better for the patient.*
In conjunction with the kind folks at the Hamdard Center, Thaakat Foundation hosted our first bone marrow registration drive in February. While on that gloomy Sunday we registered just under two dozen individuals, we realized this was not a cause we could abandon. Since then we have hosted six drives registering over 350 people, the majority of whom come from minority communities that the registry truly lacks.
Race and ethnicity matter Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the Be The Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.
We all have the power to help, the power to give hope.
For more information on joining the Be The Match registry or to hold your own drive, contact Omar Salim
osalim28@gmail.com
* http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Recruit_Donors/Need_for_Donors/index.html
For those of you who will be attending the ISNA convention in Chicago, we are signing up volunteers for a bone marrow registration drive held in the bazaar at the convention. Please contact us to sign up for this weekend!
$1,000 in ONE Week for Abdulai!
Bringing Hope to Blama Perri
Many Americans h
ave heard about Sierra Leone. The country famous for Blood Diamonds put the idea of child soldiers on the map and set the standard for the most brutal type of modern war. In a country so exuberant in natural resources, diamonds have been both the source of hope and source of destruction.
Unfortunately since the end of the war, people don’t often hear of the struggles that are faced by the country’s people. With malnutrition, poverty and a receding economy- these people yearn to see a shining light.
Abdulai was a young orphan of the war. He lived alongside other street children in the city. Luckily for him, staff members of the Child Rescue Center United Methodist Orphanage found him sleeping on the street. Because he was alone they took him in and gave him what other children in Sierra Leone could only dream of – a safe and loving upbringing where he would be educated and cared for. By 2008 Abdulai was a promising young man on his way to higher education.
He had unfinished business in his heart though, wondering if he could ever find his mother, if she still lived, so he set about trying to track down his home village. Upon returning to his home village, he found his mother had died just a few months back. He couldn’t however turn his back on the desperate conditions these villagers were living in. In this small village of Blama Perri lived 1500 people, more than 30% of whom could not read or write.
During the rains the people living under mud-thatched houses are affected with multiple sicknesses emanating from the cold due to heavy down pour of rain in the monsoon season. Less than two years ago according to information gathered in the project area, 23 people including women and children have died from cold-related sicknesses.
Thaakat Foundation has partnered with the Trinity United Methodist Church to help Abdulai and his villagers to build 5 homes for single-parent households (essentially women and children). The average residency is 20 people per home. Though Thaakat and TUMC will be working to provide funding for these homes, the effort will be a collaborative one amongst villagers as they will serve as the laborers. Each home is comprised of 16,000 bricks that the villagers are themselves arranging.
WE HAVE ONE WEEK TO REACH THE REMAINDER OF $1000 TO GET THESE HOMES UP!!!! Please help us meet our goals by donating here http://thaakat.wordpress.com/donate/. Your kindness will live on in the hearts of these villagers forever.
Bollywood Night: A Fantastic Success!
As we sat in traffic outside of the Holland tunnel I kept watching our GPS in anticipation of the miles to get closer to our desitination. Today was the day for Jaqueline Kennedy Highschool’s Bollywood Night, a Charity Benefit for Thaakat Foundation.
- The make you want to LOL MC’s
We finally arrived just in time and as we rushed up the stairs we saw posters on some fast facts of poverty around the globe, confetti and colors brimming our way to the top and the tone of music surreptitiously getting louder and louder.
We entered the doors to the event to see a young girl decorating hands with henna, trays of food lining the hallway and a wonderful group of kids trying to convince spectators to buy threads of raffle tickets.
Ms. Jane Valit, Puja Patel and Kristin Damo worked tirelessly with the National Honor Society at the school to arrange the event. Not only were they able to arrange for donations of food but they had the best line up of raffle items I had ever seen. From dazzling Tiffany jewelry to NHL gift cards- the group had arranged for more than 20 spectacular items to gift away at the end of the night.
- The lovely staff who made it happen
