Benefit To Assist Global Humanitarian Mine Action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(November 24, 2001 – North Potomac, MD) – On November 30th, 2001 Montgomery
County area residents in Maryland will join Sir Paul McCartney and fiancé
Heather Mills, Her Majesty Queen Noor, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell,
and the Canadian Governor General, H.E. Adrienne Clarkson in attending
dinners held around the world to raise awareness and resources for the
international landmine crisis.
The recent fighting in Afghanistan has brought renewed attention to this
pressing global health, environmental and developmental issue. Tens of
thousands of fleeing refugees and Allied troops face what many ordinary
Afghan people have faced for decades – the fear of encountering one of the
millions of landmines or unexploded ordnances in the ground. Every year
approximately 18,000 people are killed or maimed by landmines and, one-third
are children. More than 80 million landmines
are buried in more than 80 countries that were once ravaged by war.
The Rukavina family in North Potomac, Maryland, working with the National
Federation of Croatian Americans, decided to take action to support this
humanitarian effort. The Maryland dinner featuring Croatian foods will be one
of
some one thousand being hosted around the world on or around November 30th as
part of the Night of a Thousand Dinners. This international initiative
coordinated by the Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLF) and the United Nations
Association of the USA will raise funds for Adopt-A-Minefield and other
organizations that are all addressing different aspects of the global
landmine crisis. All funds raised at the North Potomac dinner will be
earmarked for the Adopt-A-Minefeld organization and de-mining operations in
Croatia and will qualify for U.S. government matching funds.
Heather Mills, honorary chairperson of Adopt-A-Minefield, who is to marry the
former Beatle next year, said: “I normally cook dinner at home and Paul makes
the breakfast, but on this occasion he’ll be helping me and we’ll share the
cooking.” McCartney has also donated signed lithographs of his painting
Amnesty to be given as prizes to three lucky hosts. The Rukavina dinner event
will feature several Croatian dinner entrees, supplied by the Embassy of the
Republic of Croatia.
“Night of a Thousand Dinners is a way for every person to contribute to the
global mine clearance effort while being among friends and family in their
own homes,” said Jason Rukavina, a senior at Wootton High School. “Every
person’s contribution makes an important difference to the people who live in
fear of the threat of landmines every day.”
“I am excited to play a part in creating a safer, mine-free world and to help
raise money for de-mining in Croatia,” said Jason Rukavina. “Night of a
Thousand Dinners enables everyone to make a meaningful difference with this
worldwide problem.”
For further information, please contact Jason Rukavina at
E-mail address: [email protected]
distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) – [email protected]