Danbury Area Refugee Assistance (DARA) invites the community to our third annual benefit dinner supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Greater Danbury area. This event takes place at Michael’s At The Grove in Bethel from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM and features a cocktail hour, three-course meal with wine service, guest speakers, live entertainment, dancing, and a silent auction.
Last year’s featured speaker was 24-year-old photographer Maher Mahmood, an Iraqi refugee who spoke movingly about the circumstances that brought him to the United States in 2014. Heba Gowayed, a sociologist currently pursuing her PhD at Princeton, spoke passionately about the refugee crisis and her work studying the resettlement of refugees. This year, DARA has invited Chris George, the executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven, to join the guest speakers at the benefit.
DARA was founded in October of 2015 by Bethel resident James Naddeo, who called on members of the community to form a response to the growing refugee crisis in Syria. DARA partnered with IRIS to sponsor a Syrian family who arrived in the United States in March of 2016. This family has successfully integrated into the Danbury community.
Tickets may be purchased at daraspring2018.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are $55 in advance or $65 at the door, with tables of 8 available for $400 and tables of 10 for $475. Credit cards are accepted for tickets at the door, as well as for silent auction bids during the event.
Thanks to Michael’s At The Grove for hosting our event again this year!
And thank you, as always, to all of DARA’s supporters and friends.
We look forward to seeing you on March 24th!