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RAMADAN UNITY

Erik Altmann, Mayor

Andy Schor, Mayor

EVENING PROGRAM

Master of Ceremonies ............................................................................................................ Areesha Shah Junior, Okemos High School

Welcome ........................................................................................................................................ Andy Schor Mayor, City of Lansing

Welcome ..................................................................................................................................... Erik Altmann Mayor, City of East Lansing

Ecumenical Prayer ....................................................................................... Rev. Alice Fleming Townley United Methodist Pastor

Dinner Served

Recognition of Sponsors ........................................................................................... Farhan Bhatti, M.D.

Introduction to Ramadan ................................................................................... Imam Sohail Chaudhry Islamic Society of Greater Lansing

One Community ...................................................................................................................... Thasin Sardar Islamic Society of Greater Lansing

Ramadan’s Blissful Journey ......................................................................... Poem by Karam Mawazini Senior BFA Actor, MIchigan State University

Introduction of Keynote Speaker & Panelists .................................................... Farhan Bhatti, M.D.

Panel facilitated by Keynote Speaker ............................................................. Professor Saaed Khan

Co-panelists .................................................................... Michelle Lantz, Joshua Gillespie, Terry Link

Closing Remarks ........................................................................................................... Farhan Bhatti, M.D.

Michelle Lantz CEO, Greater Lansing Food Bank

MAYORS’ WELCOME

We are so grateful to have you here to join us at the 18th Annual Mayors’ Ramadan Unity Dinner. The purpose of this dinner is to celebrate the importance of diversity and unifying as one to help those who face hunger or food insecurity. This year, the theme is “Tradition of Sharing,” which embodies the fact that this ongoing effort takes the selfless act of giving by many. On that note, I’d like to express our gratitude towards both sponsors and attendees who have done just that. This event supports the Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) and helps individuals, families and communities by providing them with food and resources right here in the Greater Lansing Area. Supporting the GLFB increases its capacity to reach out and do more throughout the entire capital region. Please enjoy tonight’s event, and thank you again for your support!

Welcome to the 18th Annual Mayors’ Ramadan Unity Dinner, and thank you for joining us tonight. It’s an honor to be here with you all. This year’s theme is “Tradition of Sharing,” and all proceeds from this dinner will go toward the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s quest to provide resources to those in need and fight against hunger across seven counties in midMichigan. Thank you to the organizers and sponsors of tonight’s event, to the Islamic Center of East Lansing for providing this space for us, and to everyone here tonight for your continued support for this mission.

East Lansing Mayor Erik Altmann

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Dr. Farhan Bhatti

Islamic Society of Greater Lansing

Thasin Sardar

Islamic Society of Greater Lansing

Zachary Jandereski

Greater Lansing Food Bank

Lucianna Solis

City of Lansing

Max Mather

City of Lansing

Michael Hopson

City of Lansing

Elaine Hardy

City of East Lansing

Akua Ekye-Addai

City of East Lansing

Carrie Sampson

City of East Lansing

Lita Johnson

City of East Lansing

Archie Foote

City of East Lansing

BACKGROUND ON THE RAMADAN DINNER

The first Mayors’ Ramadan Unity Dinner was proposed and organized by Sadia G. Covert, Esq. in 2007. It started with approximately 100 attendees at the Cooley Temple Conference Center of Cooley Law School, raising over $1,000 its first year. Since then, the Mayors’ Ramadan Unity Dinner has grown to reach an audience of more than 500 attendees and has provided thousands of meals to children and families through the proceeds that have been raised for the Greater Lansing Area Food Bank.

Covert is the founder of the nonprofit, Uniting Through Cultural Awareness and Regional Education (UCARE), whose mission is to counter hate and bigotry through diversity education and community empowerment. Covert is also an attorney, owner and partner of Covert & Covert, LLP., who wrote a hate crimes law that gives victims more ways to seek restitution and damages and requires education of offenders about the specific community or group they targeted. As a state-certified instructor for enforcement, she also was the first female Muslim to develop a four-house state-certified curriculum on Islamic Cultural Awareness in the state of Illinois and has trained hundreds of police officers and other law enforcement officials on the subject. Given her extensive background, experience and dedication in uniting communities together to positively impact the narrative of underrepresented groups of people, Ms. Covert was awarded former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Volunteer Service Award in 2016. Sadia was presented with a special recognition award in 2013 for establishing Lansing’s annual Mayors’ Ramadan Unity Dinner while she volunteered as a mayoral intern. Her mission for the dinner remains the same: to alleviate hunger while embracing religious diversity and interfaith understanding.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Saeed A. Khan is currently in the Department of History and Lecturer in the Department of Near East & Asian Studies at Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan, where he teaches Islamic and Middle East History, Islamic Civilizations and History of Islamic Political Thought. Mr. Khan is also a Research Fellow at Wayne State University’s Center for the Study of Citizenship. He is also Adjunct Professor in Islamic Studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy and at Rochester College, co-teaching a course on Muslim-Christian Diversity.

PANELISTS

Terry Link is a Laingsburg, Michigan–based sustainability advocate and community organizer deeply involved in peace, justice, and environmental efforts. Terry has served as Executive Director of the Greater Lansing Food Bank and founded Michigan State University’s Office of Campus Sustainability, where he led campus-wide initiatives for a decade. Before that, he worked for nearly 30 years as an academic librarian with a focus on public policy and environmental studies.

In the Lansing area peace community, Terry is an active member of the Lansing Area Peace Education Center, facilitates the Michigan Peace Alliance, and is helping to launch Peace Community Media, a community owned radio station, and continuing to contribute his experience and leadership to local and statewide efforts for nonviolent solutions, global understanding, and social equity.

PANELISTS CONT’D

Michelle Lantz is the CEO of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, a seven-county food distribution hub for 225 food agencies, school districts and community partners and 100 community gardens. GLFB provides more than 10 million meals annually to the community.

Lantz previously held the position of senior vice president of donor and public relations at Capital Area United Way and led its fundraising and marketing efforts during two separate times in her career.

Prior to owning a public relations and strategic planning consultancy for 12 years, she was the also director of communications for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Lantz is a board member of the Food Bank Council of Michigan and has served the community in volunteer roles at numerous nonprofits and her faith community. She is a current member of the Rotary Club of Lansing and a former board member of the Lansing Rotary Foundation.

Lantz received her master’s degree in public relations and bachelor’s in communications from Michigan State University. She holds an accreditation in public relations from Public Relations Society of America and served as chair of national, regional and local PRSA committees during her career.

Joshua Gillespie serves as the Director of Diversity Strategic Initiatives at The University of Olivet. Before joining the The University of Olivet family, he held several key roles at MSU and he currently manages and operates Spartan Property Chasers.

He is a proud member of Tabernacle of David Church, where he acts as a deacon, the Associate Administrator for the collegiate ministry, and the Stage Manager for the media team.

In addition, Joshua directs LMTS Community Outreach Services in Lansing, Michigan. Joshua was a recipient of the 2021 Beacon of Light Award from the Greater Lansing Food Bank and the 2022 recipient of the GLAC’s Community Service Award.