The Cochrane Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Group (CSRSG) are inviting people to join in a night of celebrating cultural diversity.
The upcoming Celebration of Diversity event will be a night of songs, stories and dance to acknowledge the contributions to society from the different cultural groups with a special emphasis on the Syrian newcomers – while also accepting donations to reach the $55,000 target goal for the two Syrian families sponsored by the Cochrane Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Group. More than $50,000 was raised by July.
“We have come up with almost the full amount – the Cochrane and area people are very generous,” said Andy Marshall, Cochrane Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Group member.
The group started fundraising at the beginning of the year in preparation to help two families from Syria start a new life in Cochrane – with an original monetary target of $40,000.
The first family was newlywed couple Safaa Alkhoury and Louay Ghassan, and the second family was Ramez Assaf and Farah Roba, with their three children, Butrus, 5, Maressa, 3, and Sharbl (born Jan. 14).
Through community support and the sponsorship group, the families were placed in temporary housing for approximately a month before moving into a more permanent situation with the majority of household necessities donated by the community and area businesses.
“We are really grateful for everyone’s generosity and the volume of support we have received,” Mike Poettcke, CSRSG member said in a previous interview with the Eagle.
Five months into the families’ resettlement, the fundraising goal was readjusted because transportation costs were not initially included in the budget and there were additional costs for automobile insurance and upkeep.
“The families in Cochrane have been here for eight months now and they’ve done very well … there are still challenges but they are working hard and making progress.”
Originally the event was going to help raise the rest of the funds but now – since they are so close to goal – they want to focus on celebrating diversity in the community.
“We want to focus on celebrating what has gone on in Cochrane and the fact that we have people from all over the world (in the community),” Marshall said.
The Celebration of Diversity will host a number of speakers including Fariborz Birjindian, head of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), Anoush Newman, community engagement co-ordinator for CCIS’s refugee resettlement program in Calgary and area, with emcee George Tambay, born in Lebanon and a long-time active member of the Cochrane community.
The Celebration of Diversity will be hosted on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Cochrane High School Lyceum, located at 549 Fourth Ave. N. The event is free but donations are welcome.
For more information about the event, contact Andy at 403-932-6580.
