ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½

BFA Saw Great Success at 25th Anniversary Gala and Warehouse Party!

BFA Saw Great Success at 25th Anniversary Gala and Warehouse Party!

Photo Credit: Loren SwansonOn September 20, 2013, ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½ celebrated 29 million books and 25 years at the BFA 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Gala. We hosted a big event to celebrate all of the people and projects that have helped us in our mission to end the book famine in ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½.

We kicked off the event with a VIP Reception at Windows on the River at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel, where St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and a number of our VIPs addressed the audience, including the Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S., the Tanzanian Ambassador to the U.S., and former Tanzanian First Lady Anna Mkapa.

Photo Credit: Loren SwansonThen our guests made their way downstairs to join other BFA supporters for our pre-gala festivities, including music from KFAI ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½n Rhythms and a fashion show with designs by Yvonne Johnson of Milu Milu Couture.

We then sat nearly 500 glowing supporters for a formal dinner featuring an address from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½ Board members, founder, and volunteers; a special song written just for the anniversary event; a live auction; and a keynote address from Nayaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA General Secretary.

The following day, we hosted the annual ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½ Warehouse Party/Braii at our new St. Paul warehouse. With so many folks in town for the anniversary, the Warehouse Party was a great success!Photo Credit: Loren Swanson

We hosted two bands: Black Market Brass, a local Afro-jazz band, and the one and only ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½ Warehouse Band, made up of musical members of our St. Paul and Georgia warehouse staffs.

Guests enjoyed free wine, beer, and South ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½n BBQ from Amara Wines, owned by BFA Board Member Bob Marx and a major in-kind donor for the BFA 25th Anniversary Year. The Cave Café food truck was there as well to offer up Afro-Italiano fusion food throughout the evening. People danced, ate, drank, and were merry at the free ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½ event!

It was a lovely celebration of 25 years of work, and an inspiration for the next leg of the journey as we continue our work to end the book famine in ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½.


Thank you to BFA's Anniversary year sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor: Ìý Ìý
Gold Sponsors:
Partner Sponsor: Ìý Ìý
Gala Sponsors: Ìý
Major In-Kind Donors: Ìý

Ìý Thank you to our other in-kind donors: Linder's and KFAI ÌÇÐÄvlgo´«Ã½n Rhythms