renjie's posterous

too long for a tweet, too short for a blog post...

Filed under Pakistan

View all posts on posterous with this tag »

If I was still in #Toronto, I would be bidding on Marilyn Monroe at @h4pk on Oct 18 #pkfloods #art

(download)

After two months of planning, heARTS for Pakistan, the silent art auction fundraiser to raise money and awareness for the victims of the devastating floods which hit Pakistan back in August, is finally around the corner and will take place this coming Monday, October 18 at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. 

Times like these I wish I was still back in the KW/Toronto area, as this event promises to be a great evening of art & music. If you haven't already bought your ticket, you can still purchase tickets online here, they cost $20 and include appetizers (a cash bar will be available on-site). Tickets at the door will cost $25 and there will only be a limited number sold.

I would also be bidding on the stunning black & white Marilyn Monroe piece generously donated by artist Jenny Sullivan; my second choice would be this beautiful colour portrait, currently untitled, by artist Wahab Jaffer. 

It's amazing the show of support that we've received from the art community across Canada and from the United States, for this fundraiser, where 100% of the proceeds from this event will go towards the Humanitarian Coalition's flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Over 75 pieces of art have been donated by artists, ranging in value from $100 to $2,000. 

More photos of art up for grabs at heARTS for Pakistan this coming Monday, Oct 18, can be found here.

More information about the event can be found at www.hearts4pakistan.com

Posted
Views

Tickets are now available for the Silent Art Auction for #PKflood victims, Gladstone Hotel #Toronto October 18

H4pk-facebkevent

"The eyes see. The ears hear. Yet somehow, the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter, food & emergency care. At least 160,000 square kilometers of land is under water - an area larger than more than half the countries of the world.”

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s words above resonate with us, and as we try to wrap our minds around the scale of this disaster and suffering in Pakistan, we are compelled to do something to help.

On October 18, please join us at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto for a fun evening of art and music as we look to raise awareness and funds for this very worthwhile cause. View & bid on over 50 pieces of art in mixed media, generously donated by local artists in the community.

"...we hear talk of so-called “fatigue”. There are suggestions that governments hesitate to contribute more to this part of the world. But let us remember: if anyone should be fatigued, it is the ordinary people I met in Pakistan — women, children and small farmers, tired of troubles, conflict and hardship. Instead of fatigue, I saw determination, resilience, the hope and expectation that they will not be alone under the darkest of skies.”

www.hearts4pakistan.com for more information
Posted
Views

Call for Volunteers, Artists & Sponsors - Silent Art Auction in Toronto for Pakistani Flood Victims

I was on a conference call with several friends from Waterloo and Toronto last night, where we discussed the issue of doing our part to raise awareness and money for the victims of the floods in Pakistan.

I'm sure by now, many of you have heard the statistics where the United Nations estimates 20 million people have been affected, including 4 million people who have been made homeless due to the floods. You've probably also seen pictures of the devastation and desperation of the people in the country given the situation on the ground (see Boston.com The Big Picture - Continuing Pakistani Floods). 

If you were wondering to yourself whether there was a way for you to do something about the dire situation in Pakistan, and are located in or around the Kitchener-Waterloo/Toronto area, perhaps there is a way you can help directly. 

If you're not located in either KW or Toronto but do feel the strong need to do something about the situation in Pakistan, please feel free to take the idea proposed below and replicate it in your own community. 

Silent Art Auction in Toronto for Pakistani Flood Victims

Hearts for Haiti Vancouver - March 6, 2010

Inspired by a similar and very successful event called Hearts for Haiti in Vancouver, where the money raised went to the victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti earlier this year, a small group of us are looking to put together a silent art auction in Toronto scheduled for the week of October 4th (depending on the venue), with a target of 150-250 people in attendance, and 50-75 art pieces to be auctioned off.

Keep in mind that we are still at the very early stages of planning for this event, and there is certainly a lot of room on the team if you are willing to help.

How YOU Can Help - Call for Volunteers, Artists & Sponsors

With that said, in order to make the maximum impact ($ raised), we're looking for a lot of in-kind donations and could use your help for suggestions and connections to make it happen:
  • Volunteers: If you or a friend would be interested in volunteering your time to help us make this event happen in Toronto, we would love to hear from you! 
    • You can take a lead on the organizing team (a great group of super fun people, I promise!) where there are certainly major areas where we need someone to take a lead on; or you can volunteer 3-5 hours of your time at your own time based on your schedule and availability. 
  • Artists: Do you have any artists in your networks that may be interested in donating pieces (paintings, mini sculptures, framed photographs, fashion pieces, small artsy furniture, etc) that people would want to bid on for a silent auction? Anything that does not get the minimum bid at the event would be returned to the artist.
  • Venue: We're looking for a venue in Toronto that can accommodate 150+ people and is subway/streetcar accessible. Please check out the pictures from the Hearts for Haiti event in order to get a sense of the space that we're looking for.
  • Sponsors: Any connections for financial and/or in-kind sponsorship would be greatly appreciated.
If you are interested in helping out with any of the above, please feel free to get in contact with me, Renjie Butalid, or Saba Rehmani for more information. 
 THANK YOU so much for your help and we look forward to hearing from you!
Posted
Views

Flooding in #Pakistan - Boston.com The Big Picture #floods #donate #relief

(download)
More photos can be found at Boston.com

I received this email a couple of days ago from a friend of mine who is in Pakistan at the moment, before he made his way to Bahawalpur in order to help out with the relief efforts.

As I wait for my flight to Bahawalpur (the closest dry city to the flood stricken areas), I just wanted to share the extent of the devastation that has happened in Pakistan. Close to 14 million people have been affected according to the latest reports, compared to the 11 million odd people if you put together the Tsunami, Haiti and Pakistan Earthquake all combined:

Will update after I am back in Karachi inshallah (God willing).

Regards,

It seems that new flood warnings have been issued to several cities in the Punjab and Sindh provinces, adding further to the desperation that people are facing in the country. My thoughts and prayers to all the flood victims in Pakistan.

Donations for the relief efforts can be made through the following organizations:

 

Posted
Views