From the Nominator

Lebanon and AUB have faced a truly unprecedented series of events since fall 2019: the economic and financial collapse of the country; the pandemic; and a shattering explosion in the Beirut port on Aug. 4, 2020, which caused the death of more than 200 people; injured 6,000; and made 300,000 people homeless. The explosion also caused enormous physical damage. In fall 2020, everyone was exhausted–physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So too were the members of our worldwide community, almost all of whom have very strong connections to Lebanon.

We needed to mobilize our worldwide community not just to raise urgently needed funds for our university and the city of Beirut, devastated by the explosion, but also to lift everyone’s spirits and remind all of us about why AUB was–and is–necessary. 

With the help of an extraordinary alumnus, Nemr (BBA ’05), we organized an entertainment/fundraising event dedicated to AUB. It was a chance to learn about AUB initiatives to address the urgent needs of the people of Beirut in the aftermath of the Aug. 4 explosion, to hear older alumni reminisce about AUB, to meet some inspiring young graduates who are attracting a lot of attention these days, and to hear from friends of AUB who especially appreciate the role that our university plays in Lebanon and the Arab world. It was also a fundraiser for community outreach initiatives, our medical center, and urgent needs on campus, including student scholarships. The event was a triumph!

From the Judges

We loved how innovative this event is. There is great results with engagement, and it had such moving stories.