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Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar - Hottest Celebration of Summer 2010 |
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 On Saturday, July 17, the Arab American Association of New York hosted its 4th Annual Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar in Shore Road Park in Brooklyn. Thousands of community members and friends came out to celebrate Arab heritage with food, crafts, and live music and dance. The Bazaar is part of Arab Heritage Week, declared by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2005 to honor the contributions of the Arab-American community in New York. Thanks to our Diamond Sponsor Dr. Eman Al-Janabi, Gold Sponsors AmeriChoice and Health Plus, and Silver Sponsors Lutheran Medical Center, Apple Bank and Con Edison! |
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 Some of the biggest names in Arabic music and dance illuminated the stage from early afternoon until after the sun went down. Yasser AbuThahab, Yasser Darwish and Egyptian Celebrations performed Egyptian favorites, while singers Feras Al Iraqi and Monaf added rhythmic Iraqi flair. Palestinian Anas Tabbash and Algerian Cheb Yassine lit up the crowd and set the rhythm for huge dance circles. AAANY's own dance troupe, Nijmat Falasteen, riveted the crowd with their intricate debka sequences - the performances kept the crowd moving until nightfall. |
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 While the audience caught its breath between musical and dance numbers, we were also joined by several local political leaders, including State Assembly Member Janele Hyer-Spencer, State Senator Marty Golden, Congressman Mike McMahon, (pictured left with AAANY's Linda Sarsour and Khader El-Yateem) Congressional candidate Michael Allegretti, Commissioner for Immigrant Affairs at the Mayor's Office, Fatima Shama, State Assembly Member Felix Ortiz, and State Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny. Each expressed their excitement to be at such a lively event, recognized the contributions of New York's Arab Americans, and affirmed their partnership with our community. |
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Special thanks go out to our thirty dedicated volunteers, who devoted countless hours of hard work in order to make this year's Bazaar such a tremendous success! We thank you for your commitment to the community, and your role in making the Bazaar so much fun for so many families. More photos from the event are available in our online photo gallery at here! This year's Bazaar would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, including Diamond Sponsor Dr. Eman Al-Janabi, Gold Sponsors AmeriChoice and Health Plus, and Silver Sponsors Lutheran Medical Center, Apple Bank, and Con Edison! |
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AAANY Promotes Healthy Communities! |
 On Friday, May 21st, AAANY partnered with Lutheran Health Care to present the Healthy Families, Healthy Communities Fair at Beit Al Maqdis Islamic Center. Numerous medical professionals and representatives reached out to more than 200 members of the Arab-American community. Each year, AAANY coordinates a community health fair with two goals in mind: to increase awareness of health issues and improve access to affordable health care. At this year’s health fair, experts set up exhibits to promote healthy eating habits, active living, and good medical and dental hygiene. |
 They stressed the importance of screenings and early detection of health issues like cancer. Bilingual doctors provided on-sight advice and referrals, and representatives from low-cost health insurance companies explained the importance of health insurance to family health and financial stability. AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthcare provided lunch to all staff and representatives on hand, and Pharmacy on 5th gave away free blood sugar readers for people diagnosed with diabetes! |
 As a result of the event, more community members are aware of the dangers of maladies like heart disease, obesity, and cancer. The health fair also provided community members with access to low-cost, culturally-sensitive medical services, and to potentially life-saving screenings like mammograms, blood pressure readings and glucose screenings. Many thanks to our cosponsors and participants, including Lutheran Health Care, NYU Cancer Institute’s Amber Project, AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthcare, Health Plus, YWCA Brooklyn, American Italian Cancer Foundation, Pharmacy on Fifth, Alkasimi Pediatrics, Dr. Mai Abdalla, and NYS Commission for the Blind & Visually Handicapped. |
Arab American Service Day Brings Cleaner Parks, Literacy, and Smiles |
| This Saturday, May 15, 2010, Arab American Association of New York staff, supporters and clients gathered in south Brooklyn to take part in the Sixth Annual National Arab American Service Day. AAANY teamed with the Shore Road Parks Conservancy to coordinate a large-scale cleanup and beautification of Shore Road Park in Brooklyn, NY. |
 From 9am to 2pm, over 60 volunteers - Arab and non-Arab, children and grandparents - wielded shovels, rakes and brooms to clear a thick forest of weeds from a large swath of parkland. They cleared away the refuse and mulched the restored hillside, dramatically improving the park's condition and preparing the ground for flowers and shrubs. Park users stopped to express their appreciation, and some grabbed rakes and joined in the cleanup! The volunteers received special thanks from New York Senator Marty Golden. Later, upon seeing the remarkable efforts of the volunteers, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz exclaimed, "for all the work that you've done, all I can say is, 'shukran, shukran, shukran!'" |
 While some volunteers improved the community's park, another 20 volunteers worked to improve the community's literacy. From 11am to 4pm, AAANY staff and volunteers hosted a family book ive-away. Neighborhood kids and adults from every background flocked to AAANY's office on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge to choose free books that AAANY staff had collected from donors over the past month. The book give-away gave families access to exciting new reading materials, promoting all-ages literacy and celebrating the "book culture" that unifies Brooklyn's diverse communities. Hundreds of volunteers in 18 American cities from Boston to San Francisco gathered to honor National Arab American Service Day. At homeless shelters, neighborhood gardens, parks and abandoned properties, Arab Americans donated their time, expertise and enthusiasm to give back to their neighbors and communities. Given the increasingly negative and stereotyped images of Arabs in the media and the political arena, National Arab American Service Day provided a refreshing opportunity for Arab Americans to demonstrate their commitment to helping America's diverse communities thrive. |
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For past events, see our recent news archives.
