Wells Bring Hope was thrilled to honor over sixty of its most generous Los Angeles based donors with a memorable dinner on June 11th. It was an opportunity to say “thank you” to those who’ve been so generous in helping us save lives with safe water.
It was held at the Bel Air home of founder and president, Barbara Goldberg. The Japanese garden was a perfect setting for a relaxed sit-down dinner that began with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 5 pm.
The event was created and prepared by Board member Ed Keebler, a chef, restauranteur and entrepreneur and it was a very special gift. Although it was not the warmest of LA evenings, our guests didn’t let that take away from their fun and enjoyment. With great gourmet food, including Ed’s special cavatelli with pesto Genovese and grilled lamb chops, we feasted joyfully.
Founder and president Barbara Goldberg welcomed guests and expressed our appreciation for their on-going support, noting the many ways in which they help us—hosting an event, providing matching funds, grants, honoring a loved one, including us in their estate plan, serving on the Board, all so greatly valued. Barbara was also thrilled to announce that Wells Bring Hope has received a $10,000 grant from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation, something that would not have been possible without the support of Linda and Judd Swarzman.
Treasurer Larry Johnson, who initiated a $1million Rotary grant for Niger, spoke movingly about his recent trip and the strong connection that he felt with both local Rotarians as well as the rural villagers he met. The discovery of his genetic connection to the people of sub-Saharan only intensified his profound experience of Niger.
Sam Jackson of World Vision began by praising Barbara Goldberg for her tireless work on behalf of and dedication to the people of Niger. Sam then thanked all of the guests for their support of Wells Bring Hope and their commitment to safe water. Finally, Sam also urged the group to keep up their efforts as we continue to work toward the goal of eradicating water insecurity throughout the world by 2030.
No Wells Bring Hope event would be complete without a few words from the man who inspired our cause, Gil Garcetti. Gil was appointed as Cultural Ambassador to UNESCO in 2014, and he spoke about his work traveling around the world as an advocate for safe water, a role that he is more than well suited for.
The evening ended with guests waiting for a fresh-from-oven chocolate chip cookie to take home—scrumptious!
Please head over to the Wells Bring Hope Facebook page to see the album of photos from the event, tag yourself, and share the pictures if you like. Even if you don’t have an account, you can see all of the photos here.
Finally, special thanks to Michelle Chan who coordinated the whole event and to the volunteer team who helped make the dinner a great success!
