It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the midst of spring; the flowers were in full bloom as were our hearts. Since the crack of dawn, GiveLight’s core team members had been excitedly exchanging texts, planning out the final details of our annual Global Bistro event. As we parked our cars and walked through an open courtyard with an enormous, majestic oak tree, we knew it would be a lovely day.
We had been planning the event for two months and had thought of every possible detail. Our decor team had come up with a wonderful theme: Springtime in Paris. The spacious, sun-lit hall with its high ceiling and gleaming hard-wood floor was the perfect setting for our beautiful event.
Hundreds of GiveLight supporters, old and new, came together to enjoy food, family, and fun while benefiting our GiveLight children. Bakers and chefs showcased their best creations while foodies wandered about eagerly tasting various mouthwatering treats, including American, European, Asian, African and Middle Eastern fare. While many of the items brought by our generous friends were popular, among the sold-out ones were cheesecake baklava by Nido’s Cheesecake, kothu paratha by Anjappar, fried chicken by Mirchi Cafe, tiramisu by Zeba Siddiqui, mango mousse by Maryam Holt, pandan cake and tropical drinks by our Indonesian team, cotton candy and popcorn by our dedicated volunteers Jasmin Hassan and Dilkash Shaikh, and noodles and other delicacies by our Singaporean team.
The photo booth was likewise a big hit. Our young and talented artist Iman Noor painted an amazing backdrop of the Eiffel Tower next to a pink blossoming flower tree. All the props – signs reading “Bonjour” and “Oh La La” as well as berets and softly-colored faux fur – were exactly what was needed to create a picture-perfect Parisian setting. Our talented baker Natasha Tuffail from Cakes&Stuffs created a spectacular three-tiered cake, complete with the Eiffel tower. Another talented chef and our long time supporter Shaz Imran made a come back with her signature dish.
Kids ran around freely in the courtyard, enjoying the lovely spring breeze and getting their faces and hands painted by our talented artists. Two pianists, Jen and Hillary Bayer, played masterfully, adding another element of beauty to the ambience. We made many new friends who want to volunteer and support our cause. While our goal was primarily to build a stronger sense of community and not to fundraise, we collected roughly $6000 through the generosity of our wonderful GiveLight community. This will allow us feed 200 of our kids for an entire month. To all our friends who came and participated, thank you for bringing your families, your smiles, and your appetites! We thank all our wonderful bakers, chefs, and volunteers – especially the young ones. We thank our sponsors: Neelam’s, VEArt Studio, Zaman Tea, Patxis Pizza, Lemonade Palo Alto, and Godiva Valley Fair. Finally, we are so grateful to our amazing team for their hard work; Ameena Syeda, Ayesha Zia, Aparna Khan, Ansa Obaid, Samira Siddiqi, Mahira Razzak, Talia Basma, Rehmat Kharal, Farzana Hai, Naeema Ilyas, Fifi Mussadi, Rula Sai, Lujane Mussadi, Salizah Mahmoud, Sadaf Hussaini and Ayesha Rania. The event would not have been a success without their dedication.
We hope you all tasted the sweetness of giving. We look forward to an encore next spring, God willing. Click here for a glimpse of our lovely afternoon.
