21st Annual Friendship Dinner and Award Ceremony
The 21st Annual Friendship Dinner and Award Ceremony, organized by our Dialogue Volunteers, was held on October 17, 2024
The 21st Annual Friendship Dinner and Award Ceremony, organized by our Dialogue Volunteers, was held on October 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh with great participation. The event drew attention with speeches emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity, an award ceremony, and meaningful closing remarks.
The dinner welcomed prominent figures from academia, civil society organizations, and local government. The award recipients were as follows:
Dr. Maya Ragavan (Academic Achievement Award)
Dr. Khlood Salman (Interfaith Dialogue Award)
Holly Hickling (NGO Award)
Public Source (Media Award)
ARYSE (Education Award)
The evening’s emcee, Feyisola Akintola, managed the event gracefully and professionally, receiving much appreciation from the attendees. The keynote speaker, Crystal McCormick Ware, delivered an inspiring speech emphasizing the importance of cultural diversity in our society and the significance of building bridges of friendship.
The event concluded with closing remarks from several prominent local figures, including:
Nathan Harpet (Representative of Pittsburgh Mayor)
Erika Strassburger (Pittsburgh City Council Member)
Prof. James Platt (Professor of Religion at Seton Hill University)
Chris Fennimore
The evening ended on a high note, celebrating the contributions of cultural diversity to Pittsburgh. Benjamin Aysan, Outreach Director of the Turkish Cultural Center Pittsburgh, announced, “We have already started preparations for our next event, the 22nd Annual Friendship Dinner, and we aim to continue this tradition with even greater participation next year.”
The Friendship Dinner continues to play a significant role in Pittsburgh’s social life, fostering cultural awareness and building bridges of dialogue between different communities.
