CNY RISE Center hosted its Annual Fundraiser Dinner on October 16, 2019.
The Center announced that 30% of the donations would go to the refugee families in Greece in cooperation with Embrace Relief Organization.
The event started with a welcome speech by the Board President Timur Saka. He gave an update about the current activities and projects and he shared the budget for the upcoming year.
Mr. Saka also mentioned about the growing interest for Ending Childhood Lead Poisoning Campaign and the upcoming Friendship Dinner focusing on the Childcare Campaign in Onondaga County.
Volunteers served an authentic Turkish dinner and the guests were encouraged to make donations using the envelopes on each table.
Guest speaker for the night was Mrs. Cetintas who crossed the Greece border in a luggage to escape the oppression of Erdogan regime in Turkey. She was a graduate of Syracuse University and she was an academician at a Turkish University. Her University was forcefully shut down by the government and majority of the professors were arrested. Mrs. Cetintas shared her personal story of hiding from the police and risking her life to cross the border. She encouraged everyone to support the refugee and she answered questions from the audience.
The event ended with wishes to get together again next year and all the guests received a gift bag.
