Greenwich and Stamford teens Gabrielle Wakim and Philip Abdo are putting their party-making skills to use for a good cause; helping support a local Syrian refugee family and raising money for Syrian and Christian refugees on a global scale.
Wakim, a junior who attends The Stanwich School, and Philip Abdo, a senior at Rye Country Day School, have put together an “Arabian Night” fundraiser event as part of a Moral Leadership project. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m., in the Stanwich School gymnasium, 257 Stanwich Rd., and will feature a Middle-Eastern buffet, special desserts, drinks, and Lebanese wine with a variety of entertaining and educational activities, such as music and Arabic food cooking lessons. The students will transform the gym into a Middle-Eastern bazaar offering various activities including a market with rare finds and delicious foods to purchase.
Tickets for the event are $30 for adults and $20 for students and will be sold at the door.
“We decided to do this because we met the Syrian family by chance and realized how much help is needed,” said Abdo.
Wakim added, “I had already been working on programs to support Syrian refugees overseas. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to meet this family in our community, and I knew their challenges should be highlighted as part of our campaign.”
This fundraiser intends to provide supplemental support to a local Syrian family of six, which arrived to the Stamford area in August, and to support the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), which will earmark the proceeds from this event for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. CNEWA is a 90-year-old charity that assists refugees and those in need throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
