• Sports / Health / Fitness • by Brian Weidenbacher
‘Voice’ star to perform at Building Hope Gala
By Nicol Jenkins
star will deliver a celebrity touch to a fundraising event that will help ATherising bring international relief to the hungry. winner of Season 5 of NBC’s The Voice, Tessanne Chin, will sing at Food
For The Poor’s Building Hope Gala on February 1, at The Polo Club of Boca Raton. Tessanne will perform her new single “Tumbling Down” to encourage attendees to replace poor families’ dilapidated huts in Ganthier, Haiti, with safe, permanent houses. Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief, assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills, training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. Tessanne is proud to perform at such a worthwhile fundraiser. When asked how winning The Voice in December 2013 has changed her life, Tessanne says she keeps pinching herself. “Tessanne’s reaction to the news that she won The Voice is similar to the immense joy and disbelief that destitute families experience when they are moved from their crudely built huts into sturdy Food For The Poor homes,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor, adding, “Food For The Poor would like to thank Tessanne for generously lending her voice to lift families out of extreme poverty. The life-altering difference a new Food For The Poor house makes for families living in deplorable conditions is incredible. When a family expresses their gratitude for their new Food For The Poor house, it is not uncommon for them to refer to it as their piece of heaven.” Building Hope Gala committee members Allison Venditti and Kara Seelye journeyed to the desert-like community of Ganthier with Food For The Poor to see firsthand the remote community’s needs. Both Boca Raton residents were appalled by the residents’ living conditions. The barefoot children that emerged from the crudely built huts were covered in dust and malnourished. “It is the worst situation I have seen,” said Venditti, a Building Hope Gala committee member, “The houses are made of little sticks and mud, with thatched roofs. These families are just trying to survive.” This event will help bring shelter to these families. Jason Martinez, co-anchor for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 Morning News and Local 10 News at Noon, will serve as the gala’s master of ceremonies for a second consecutive year. The evening also features an extensive silent auction, cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and dancing. Bidding on silent auction prizes, such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages will offer guests opportunities to support the cause. Jay DiPietro, President/COO/General Manager of Boca West Country Club, will be honored at the gala as the 2014 Ambassador For The Poor. For more information on the Building Hope Gala and Food For The Poor, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
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February 2014
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February 2014
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