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Past Events |
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| Reaching U 2011 New York Event |
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Reaching U’s annual dinner and auction was held on November 8th at Columbia University in New York. The event, which was attended by 200 and where $137,000 were raised, had as guests of honor the current Artistic Director of Uruguay’s Ballet Nacional SODRE, Julio Bocca, and entrepeneurs Carrie and Alexander Vik, all honored for their contributions to the country and their support of Reaching U.
A renowned master of his craft, Julio Bocca was principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre for two decades and performed with other major dance companies until his retirement from the stage in 2007. Last year, he became Artistic Director of the National Ballet SODRE and has already deeply reinvigorated the company and transformed Uruguay into one of the main dance centers of the region.
Carrie and Alexander Vik have family ties to Uruguay and a special appreciation and passion for its natural beauty, people and art. Through their two world class retreats in José Ignacio, Estancia Vik and Playa Vik, they have attracted hundreds of new visitors to the country and promote Uruguay worldwide.
The three guests of honor praised Reaching U’s efforts and encouraged other to also support the organization. The dinner and auction was also attended by diplomats and notable personalities from different areas: former first lady of Uruguay Julia Pou de Lacalle, the Consul General of Uruguay in New York, Ambassador Carlos Orlando and his wife Teresa Stighetti, architect Carlos Ott and artist Pablo Atchugarry and his wife Silvana Neme.
During the event, those in attendance had the opportunity to contribute towards specific needs presented by several of the organizations and programs Reaching U supports, such as the purchase of school supplies and textbooks, didactic materials and furniture, and the construction of a greenhouse. There was also a live auction where works by important Uruguayan artists such as Marcelo Legrand, Ricardo Pascale and Juan Zorrilla de San Martín were offered, along with vacation stays and unique experiences, among them, the possibility of witnessing a class and rehearsal of the SODRE ballet, as well as attending a premiere and the VIP reception afterwards, all in Bocca’s company.
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Golf Tournament in Miami
October 29th :: Miami |
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On Saturday October 29, 60 Uruguayans and friends of Uruguay living in the US met at Crandon Golf in Miami to play a tournament in benefit of Reaching U, A Foundation for Uruguay. The event raised US$ 20,000 for the foundation, which will be invested in education and health projects with potential for social transformation.
The event sponsors were UBS as Gold Sponsor and American Airlines, AJ Sloane & Company Inc., Eaton Vance, GAM, Investec, Pagnifique and Rojas & Stanham, LLP as Silver sponsors. Many other companies donated money or items that were raffled
This is the second tournament held in Miami by the local team of Reaching U volunteers. The competition was led by Matías Beyhaut, Martín Irigoyen, Pilar Mercader, Marcelo Pittaluga, Nicolás Seigal and Nick Stanham - all Uruguayans living in Miami. We hope to repeat this event every year and expand the number of players and sponsors. Reaching U greatly appreciates the generous support of the sponsors, participants and volunteers who donated their time and resources to make this tournament a success.
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Washington DC dresses up to help Uruguayan children
May 17th :: Washington DC |
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In a room at the Uruguayan embassy in Washington DC a group of Uruguayans and friends of Uruguay met on Tuesday, May 17 to raise funds for low-income children and mothers in Uruguay. The organization Reaching U, A Foundation for Uruguay, which has been working towards this goal for more than 10 years, organized this cocktail party and art auction that drew more than 130 guests.
From 7 pm guests were treated to a cocktail which consisted of delicious appetizers, Uruguayan wines and spirits courtesy of Bacardi . The Chairman of Reaching U, Nelson Fraiman, introduced the organization and then gave the floor to the two guests of honor. One was the economist Henry V. Iglesias, Secretary General of the Ibero-American Secretariat, former president of the Inter-American Development Bank and former Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The renowned Uruguayan sculptor Alfredo Halegua , who has lived in Washington for several decades, was also honored that night. His monumental sculptures are in 33 museums and public spaces around the world including The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. On the night, Halegua contributed numerous works by different artists that were auctioned.
The evening ended with a performance by Uruguayan jazz pianist Gustavo Casenave , who flew in from New York especially to attend the event.
Among the more than seventy items that were auctioned in live and silent auctions were many works of Uruguayan art. Among them were "La Copetinera" by Carlos Paez Vilaró, "Comercio" by José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín and "Manitos" by Ignacio Iturria.
Reaching U wishes to thanks all the people who donated their time and resources to make the night a success. We raised about USD 30,000 for our foundation.
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Tango, bossa and jazz night
April 28th :: New York |
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On Thursday April 28 a successful dinner show night was held at the Opia
restaurant in New York in benefit of Reaching U. Around 60 people enjoyed the
evening of tango, bossa and jazz and a menu accompanied by fine Uruguayan
wines. Approximately $2,000 were raised for our cause.
The night began with music from Beledo and his trio and continued with tangos
by the Uruguayan bandoneon player, composer and Latin Grammy winner Raúl
Jaurena and his trio. Venezuelan singer Marga Mitchell contributed with an
authentic flavor of the River Plate, as usual, with classics such as Malena and
A Media Luz and Uruguay's Alfredo Lérida delighted the audience with others
like Volver and Caminito, during which he was joined in chorus by many of those
present. A pair of dancers also took part in the show. Towards the end of the
evening the two winners of the raffle were announced, who took home a voucher
for Opia and a bottle of wine each, generously donated by Jimena Pereya Terra,
the restaurant manager and a member of the Reaching U volunteer team in New
York.
The event was attended, among others, by the Consul General of Uruguay in
New York, Adriana Lissidini and her husband Emilio De Francesco, the consul of
the district of New York, Alejandra Acosta, the CEO of Banco República in New
York, Renée Gonzalez and other bank officials, along with Reaching U board
members and volunteers. Several nationalities were represented and some
people made their first contact with the organization.
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10k de Maroñas Running
April 11th :: Montevideo |
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On Saturday April 10 in Montevideo the Maroñas Running 10K race was held. The Primitivos group of runners took part together with teens from the Liceo Jubilar high school. They were invited to run by the Hípica Rioplatense club in Maroñas. The Reaching U team, along with kids from Jubilar and Banneux schools, cheered the runners on throughout the race. After the race we all shared (athletes and supporters) a delicious snack at the Hípica Rioplatense club.
Congratulations to all the runners for their efforts!
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Chef for a Day
April 2nd :: Washington DC |
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On April 2nd. in honor of Uruguay’s Bicentennial and in efforts to raise funds for Reaching U, we participated in the event “Chef for a Day”, organized by Mio Restaurant in Washington DC. The restaurant has been bringing prominent Latin Americans into their kitchen to showcase their native cuisine, all for the benefit of the charity. On this occasion the Chef was Uruguayan Sergio Jellinek, former CNN journalist and External Affairs Manager for a global development organization. He chose Reaching U to be the beneficiary. Sergio prepared delicious Uruguayan dishes such as Provencal Style Mussels, Bean & Tripe Soup, Vegetable Cannelloni, Dulce de Leche Crepes.
Among the guests were Mr. Carlos Gianelli Derois, Ambassador of Uruguay to the U.S, his wife Monica and other well known friends of Reaching U who joined us for this great cause. We are delighted with the success of the event. It is always wonderful to share moments like these with special people from the international community as well as with other Uruguayans. The restaurant served 160 guests and Reaching U received $1,500 in donations thanks to the generosity of our friends.
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To read the press releases about our events, please visit the Press section.
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New York Marathon
November 7 :: Nueva York |
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| For the third time, on Sunday November 7 the NYC Marathon was run wearing Reaching U’s shirt. Six runners travelled from Uruguay specially for the occasion. Rossana Arechavaleta, Francisco Armas, Alberto Gossweiler, Juan Seré, Guillermo Sosa and Marcos Valdes, made the enormous effort to run 26 miles, for which they had been training hard for many months. The goal was to raise $1,000 for each runner for Reaching U. Up to now $5,639 were raised (94% of our goal).
We wish to congratulate all runners for completing the marathon in excellent times. Thanks for your strength, spirit and for supporting our cause.
Other friends of Reaching U from the United States run for our cause as well. Frank Baxter, former Ambassador from the US in Uruguay, Ines Carrera, a Reaching U donor, and Federico Ravazzani, a member of the Board of Reaching U also run that day.
That same night the runners and their families were invited by Reaching U's Chairman Roberto Weisz and his wife Cristina for a celebration dinner at Opia Restaurant.
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Golf Tournament
November 6 :: Miami |
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| On Saturday, November 6, 60 Uruguayans and friends of Uruguay living in the US came to Crandon Golf in Miami for a golf tournament to benefit Reaching U. This tournament, which raised nearly $20,000, was held at the Crandon Golf course in Key Biscayne. This 18-hole course located by the sea and surrounded by tropical vegetation is just 10 minutes from downtown Miami and is one of the top 100 public courses in the United States.
The weather was perfect with a temperature of 65 degrees and a cool breeze. The tournament started at 8:30 and ended at 1:30. The conditions of the tournament were 4-ball, best ball. The participants included Uruguayans and nationals from other Latin American countries, as well as Americans. The winners were Marco Rojas, Eduardo Ruan, Alejandro Posada, Carlos Luque, all Colombian-American. In second place was the foursome of John Seelert, Tim Plummer, Rob Heaven and Doug O'Keefe, four American players who live in Miami. The Closest to the Pin #6 was won by Michael Mendez (Argentina), Closest to the Pin #17 by Marco Rojas (Colombia) and finally the Long Drive #5 was won by William Kent (Paraguay).
A Mercedes Benz E-350 was placed on the hole 12, a par 3 of 170 yards. The car could be won if a player got a Hole in One, although this did not happen. Incredibly, a player who wasn't taking part in the tournament managed to get a Hole in One on that hole. Unfortunately he couldn't take home the Mercedes, but he did receive several boxes of golf balls.
After the tournament, a lunch was served in a marquee followed by a raffle for several golf-related items and accessories and two flights to Uruguay. There was also a live auction with items such as golf lessons with Mariano Bartolome from Doral, a foursome round at the Doral Blue Monster course, a set of Callaway X-20 clubs, etc.
Several companies sponsored the event including AJ Sloane, Schroders and UBS as Gold sponsors and American Airlines, EatonVance, Investec, Legg Mason, Market Logic, Mercedes Benz of Coral Gables and Rojas & Stanham, LLP as Silver sponsors.
This is the first golf tournament held in Miami by the team of Reaching U volunteers. The championship was led by Matias Beyhaut, Martin Irigoyen, Pilar Mercader, Nicholas Seigal, Nick Stanham - all Uruguayans living in Miami. We hope to repeat the event next year and extend the invitation to players living in Uruguay.
Reaching U greatly appreciates the generous support of the sponsors, participants and volunteers who donated their time and resources to make this tournament a success. All these efforts will be passed on to the numerous projects that will benefit thousands of children and mothers in need in our country in 2011.
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To read articles covering our event on the local press, click here.
(available only in Spanish). |
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Gala Dinner and 9th. Annual Art Auction
October 20, 2010 :: New York |
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On Wednesday October 20, nearly 300 Uruguayans and friends of Uruguay living in the U.S. gathered in Manhattan for the annual gala dinner held by Reaching U.
For the 2010 edition, during which we managed to raise nearly US$130,000, Guastavino's was chosen, a beautiful venue with high vaulted ceilings and huge granite arches. The interior has been designated heritage of the city of New York. Among those present were diplomats and dignitaries including the Consul General in New York, Minister Adriana Lissidini, the Ambassador to the United Nations José Luis Cancela, the Uruguayan dancer and member of the American Ballet Maria Noel Ricetto, the Chairman of Tata Consulting in Uruguay, Gabriel Rozman and former Secretary to the Presidency Dr. Elías Bluth. A silent auction and was held followed by a live auction with Tash Perrin, from Christie's auction house in New York, with a total of nearly 100 works of art, crafts, vacations, accommodation and services donated by individuals and businesses.
Among the most coveted lots were a sculpture by Ricardo Pascale, a painting by Carlos Paez Vilaró, a stay at the Playa Vik hotel in José Ignacio, the Nacional and Peñarol soccer shirts autographed by the teams, an Atlético Madrid shirt signed by Diego Forlán and one from the Uruguayan national team signed by Diego Lugano. For a complete list of the items auctioned view the catalog.
Each year at the gala, Reaching U pays tribute to an individual who stands out for their contribution to Uruguay. On Wednesday 20, the guest of honor was former U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay Frank Baxter. Currently Honorary Chairman of Jefferies and Company, Inc., an international investment bank, Baxter has pioneered many social enterprises over the years and received several awards. "I am delighted to be honored by Reaching U. Reaching U is a combination of the best traditions of our two countries to support young people who are less fortunate. It is an institution worthy of much support," he said.
In addition to Mr. Baxter, the speakers at the gala included: Fernanda Guliak, Executive Director of Reaching U in New York and Robert P. Weisz, Chairman of the Board of Reaching U. In Montevideo, the team of volunteers also gathered to celebrate the occasion. An emotional highpoint in the evening came when both groups greeted each other via Webcam.
Reaching U acknowledged the generosity of each of the participants by giving them a shopping bag made from recyclable material with a note written by women from the Ceprodih project in Uruguay. Other Uruguayan organizations that will benefit from the proceeds of the gala are: the San Adolfo school in Canelones, Madres de la Cruz civil association, Casa Lunas Center, Banneux College, Niños cons Alas Foundation and the Aires Puros Center.
Reaching U's board greatly appreciates the generous support of the hundreds of people who donated their time and resources throughout the year to make the gala such a success. All their efforts will now be focused on the numerous projects that benefit thousands of children and women in need in our country in 2011.
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To read articles covering our event on the local press, click here.
(available only in Spanish). |
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design :: zona d | comunicación |
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