The Akilah Institute for Women

My friends Bruce and Prudence Lev, Theresa Havell Carter, and Jim Carter are co-hosting a cocktail party fundraiser for us on June 10 in New York City. Please RSVP if you are interested in attending! Email me at Elizabeth@ProjectAkilah.org

Read a great article about Project Akilah and Executive Director Elizabeth D. Davis in the St. Pete Times!

Thank you to the Lanza family and the Ciccio’s Restaurant Group for sponsoring our recent benefit at The Lime, one of their restaurants, in Tampa! I first met the Ciccios guys through Chad Williamson, who just arrived in Rwanda. He will be spending the next few months there working on the Akilah curriculum, strategic planning, and a whole assortment of things to get the Akilah Institute ready to begin classes in 2010!

The Ciccio’s Group also pledged $5,000 to support the renovation of the kitchen at the Akilah Institute!

Letter from Jeff Gigante, co-owner of the Ciccio’s Restaurant Group:

To All,
We at the Ciccio Restaurant Group want to express our warmest gratitude to each and everyone of you who came out in support for this wonderful cause through torrential downpour but no worse for the wear. The success of Project Akilah is just around the corner and you are the reason for that. If you were unable to contribute at the event please consider making an online donation.

Elizabeth and I are working on the quickest way to update all of you via our websites so that you can follow the progress of the Akilah team on the ground in Rwanda!

Thank You and God Bless.

Jeff Gigante
Co-Owner
Ciccio Restaurant Group

Thank you so much to the Ciccio’s Restaurant Group for sponsoring the Akilah Benefit at The Lime in South Tampa on May 21.

Over 300 people attended the event and we raised more than $30,000!

Akilah supporters packed The Lime on a rainy Thursday night

Watch some video from my presentation during the event. The video quality is pretty low and it ends after the first half. But you can at least get a glimpse of the night.

Cody Davis and Tom Elligett

Thank you to Susan Morgan, one of our amazing volunteers and committee members, who made sure that the night ran smoothly

Sara Rooney and Paula Martinelli helped check in guests at the front door

View more pictures from the night on our Flickr page.

And thank you to the St. Pete Times for helping to promote the event!
Thank you to our committee members:
Chris & Meredith Abrunzo
Hilary Aubin
Anthony Bellapigna & Michael Rizzi
Rose Bemprong
Donna Bevis
Jason Busto
Harry Cohen
Beth & Cody Davis
Jim & Peggy Davis
Luanne Eagle Ferguson
Jeff Gigante
Chris Griffin
Greg Haney
Mia Hardcastle
Sherrie Ligori
Nancy Natilson & Andrew Rock
Ian Lieberman
Rahul Mehra
Susan Morgan
Mary Mulhern
Dan & Linda O’Connell
Mike Piazza
Su Lee & Bill Place
Tracy Romano
Lisa Shasteen
Anderson Wakefield
Chad Williamson