EDF’s Benefit Dinner Honors Thomas Keneally, Raises over $120,000 for Eritrean Drought Relief

Washington, DC — Acclaimed Australian author, Thomas Keneally, became Fred Hollows Award recipient during a 600-person gala benefit dinner that raised $120,000. The dinner was held on May 22, 2003 at Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Commissioned by the Eritrean Development Foundation (EDF), the Fred Hollows Award acknowledges Mr. Keneally’s exemplary artistic and humanitarian contributions to development of Eritrea. Honorary Patrons for the dinner included U.S. Congressmen John Conyers, Dan Burton and Frank Wolf, as well as Australia’s Ambassador, Michael J. Thawley and Eritrean Ambassadors Girma Asmerom and Ahmed Tahir Baduri, to the U.S. and the UN, respectively. 

Dinner Raised $120,000
Over $120,000 was raised during this event and proceeds from the dinner will support EDF’s emergency famine relief and the Fred Hollows Intra-ocular Lens Laboratory in Eritrea. Major financial supporters included JPMorgan Chase Bank, Covington & Burling, Berkshire Financial Mortgage, Congregation Beth Am of San Diego, Corcoran Jennison Management Company, and Natural Resources Consulting Engineers. Ghebre Selassie Mehreteab served as the Dinner Committee’s Chairman.

Resounding Success
“The Eritrean Development Foundation 2003 benefit dinner was a resounding success and reflects the hard work and dedication of many people. Thousands of Eritreans will benefit from the nutritional supplements we will be able to purchase with the funds we raised,” said EDF Executive Director and Board member Yobi Amdemariam. “While we were successful in raising a significant amount of money in a very short amount of time, it is unfortunately only a beginning. Eritrea is still in dire need of emergency assistance to alleviate the impact of the current drought,” she added.

Remarks by Conyers and Keneally 
The evening included addresses by Mr. Keneally and Congressman Conyers. Ambassador Asmerom read a message from Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki congratulating Thomas Keneally and praising Fred Hollows’ and Keneally’s work on behalf of the Eritrean people. Australian soprano Sandra Partridge provided musical entertainment. 

EDF honored Congressman Conyers for his efforts to increase awareness of Africa and to promote peace in the Horn of Africa. Congressman Conyers presented Mr. Keneally with the Hollows Award and made a short address on the history of his involvement with Eritrea and Africa. Mr. Keneally spoke of his longstanding involvement with Eritrea and of the legacy of Fred Hollows in battling curable blindness in Eritrea and around the world. 

Thomas Keneally has written a number of works, including Schindler’s Ark, the basis for the Academy Award-winning film, Schindler’s List, and more recently Office of Innocence and American Scoundrel. He has also penned To Asmara, an account of the Eritrean struggle for independence.