The night of Saturday the 23^rd of 2005, was a special night for EAAA and its supporters in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The preparation for the fundraising party, the first in its kind, has been in the works for the past few months.  Once we found the entertainers and located the hotel and set the date, it was all about making it happen and ensuring its success.  People in the organization and supporters of Eritrean Athletics worked day and night and thanks to their effort, the event proved to be an enjoyable night and successful by all standards.  So how did the night go and what made it successful?

EAAA members from the D.C. area and other states including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina gathered to meet and discuss and prepare for the ultimate event. Some of us have been working together over the phone and the internet but never met in person. That gave the weekend an added flavor. Early on Saturday morning seven of us headed to Cafe Aurora in Alexandria, Virginia to discuss and put final touches to the gala that night.  I would say, the delicious food and drinks of Cafe Aurora and the wonderful conversations gave a clear indication that the 23^rd of April was about to usher a new era for EAAA and Eritrean Athletics.

Overall the day progressed as planned and even mother-nature was kind to us.  The weather forecast was heavy rainfall with thunder storm; the rain stopped well ahead of the starting time and didn't hinder our supporters.  Eritreans of all ages arrived in style and they all had one expression on their faces.  That expression was that of happiness, pride and pure determination to help Eritrean Athletics attain it full potential.  Personally, it was very pleasing to see familiar faces and meet new people who all had one goal in mind.  They all appreciated EAAA's effort to advance athletics in Eritrea and support our athletes all over the world.

Once our guests arrived and took their seat, it was time to officially start the night.  By 10 pm, there were enough people and the program started with a moment of silence for our martyrs, and then an 8 minutes documentary film produced by Mike Sium was played. That was followed by a video message from the U.S. colleges cross country champion athlete Simon Bairu, and footage of his victory at the cross country championship.  The entire hall was captured by Simon's "Nih" and "Habo", and when he crossed the finish line victorious, the attendants roared with their approval and excitement as if it was a live event.  Oh! What a night it was, and there was more to come.

EAAA's secretary, who traveled from North Carolina, was our master of ceremony and he captivated the attendants and made sure the program proceeded smoothly.  Once EAAA's president Yohannes Debessai gave his speech, awards were handed out by our guests of honor Ambassador Girma Asmerom, Dr. Haile Mezghebe, and Ato Tsehaye Fassil.  Yohannes Debessai was awarded our first annual "The Power of One" award.  This award is meant to be given to a person who demonstrates leadership, initiative, and dedication to advance Eritrean Athletics and inspire others to do so.  This was a surprise for Yohannes and the people gave their approval by the standing ovation they accorded him. 

That was followed by an auction of Zerisenay's jersey from his silver medal performance at the world cross country championship. You won't believe how much it went for!  The auction started at 100 dollars and the final bid was 5000 dollars.  The auction of the jersey infused an additional energy to the already electrified crowd.  And it was a sure sign how proud our people are of our athletes. 

The dancing started once the award ceremony ended.  It was initiated with a wonderful and well choreographed Kunama dance performed by young Eritrean girls and organized by Algeta Belay.  What followed was an excellent performance by Haile Ghebru and Abraham Afewerki.  They rocked the house and they were accompanied by the excellent musicians Salahadin, Gidewon, Temesghen, Francis and sound system tech Fitsum.  The people danced and danced the whole night until 2 in the morning.  Some danced enough to cover the distance of a marathon!

In conclusion, EAAA would like to thank all the people and organizations that helped make this event a success and further advance Eritrean athletics. The night of April the 23^rd was a night when we all renewed our pledge to continue our dedication to EAAA and Eritrean athletics, and your continued support is crucial.

Long Live Eritrean Athletics and May God bless Eritrea!

Desale Yacob, M.D.
EAAA Medical Desk Director
Eritrean American Athletics Association