Shaukat Khanum Fundraiser Dinner

Last Sunday I volunteered at a charity fundraiser along with my friends here in Dubai. I thought it'd be an interesting and quick way to get some insight into the community here and how charity fundraisers may be similar or different than from the states.

The fundraiser was a for a Pakistani based charity by the name of Shaukat Khanum for the Memorial Cancer and Research Center. The event was held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and was a donation based event. A sponsor had paid for the hall and catering and tickets were more like reservations at tables with donations slips. 

Volunteers basically registered all of the entering guests as they filed in before Iftar (sunset - time at which you break your fast) and then lead them to their assigned tables. Since it is a Pakistan based charity, the majority of the guests were Pakistani as well. Everyone was really friendly and easy to talk to, even when there were a few mix ups including filled tables or missing reservation confirmations.

After the event began, the volunteers were able to hang out and eat in their own area (probably to avoid costs of another table and for some exclusivity). The food here has been so-so thus far. The theme at dinner was Arabic food and I'm honestly not that accustom to those flavors and dishes. There are plenty of restaurants here so hopefully I'll be able to try a few of them and find a few that I like. 

 

The event program also included a presentation of the recent accomplishments of the hospital as well as an outline of the present and future needs of the organization. After collections, the evening began to wind down  as people left to go to prayers at their mosques. I was told that the organizers expected around 150k Dhs. but actually received around 200K Dhs which is around $50-55,000!