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From shabait.com Sports & Arts
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 23rd 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.
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.
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.
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 23rd 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. |
The
night of Saturday the 23rd 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?
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
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. 
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!