NEW YORK | Over 1,100 people helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Seeds of Peace’s work at the annual event. “It is the first time that a Peace Market has been sold out,” said Peace Market co-chair Scott Birnbaum. “And we are proud to announce that we raised $200,000.”
This year featured live performances by John Forté and Salman Ahmad, as well as speeches by three Seeds and Ozi Amanat and Asema Ahmed, the 2010 Young Peacemaker Honorees. Guests took part in a live auction that raised $25,000, and a hummus taste off between four New York restaurants.
After Forté and Ahmad performed separately, they joined each other on stage for a sufi-rock version of John Lennon’s Imagine. Four restaurants—Casa LaFemme, Pera, Moustache and 12 Chairs—each brought 40 lbs. of hummus for the taste-off, which was won by 12 Chairs.
During the live auction, participants bid on items including VIP tickets to the Grammys and NCAA Final Four, and vacations in Mexico, Colorado and London.
Many in attendance wrote and hung wishes on the Wishing Tree by artist Chrysanne Stathacos. These included “I wish we can send more kids to Camp” and “I wish that everyone could experience the dialogue sessions … that changed my life.”
Thanks to the hard work of the Peace Market Host Committee, these wishes are now much closer to being fulfilled.
PEACE MARKET PRESS
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