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THE BLUE CARD PAYS HOMAGE TO HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY WITH
FUNDRAISING SOCIAL TO BENEFIT NEEDY SURVIVORS
Aviva Sufian, The White House's First Special Envoy for U.S.
Holocaust Survivor
Services, and Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of
Israel in New York, To Provide Opening Remarks
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The Blue Card, a national non-profit organization dedicated
to aiding over 2,000 needy Holocaust survivors, announces
its annual fundraising social event, Pong on the Terrace,
which takes place on Thursday, May 1 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm on
the Sunset Terrace at Chelsea Piers. The event is open to
the public. Tickets may be purchased by visiting
www.bluecardfund.org/bluecard-events-ping-pong-social-2014.html
Featuring a competitive ping pong tournament, open bar,
silent auction and panoramic views of the Hudson River at
sunset, the event will be graced by Aviva Sufian, The White
House's First Special Envoy for U.S. Holocaust Survivor
Services and Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of
Israel in New York, who will provide opening remarks.
Ambassador Ido Aharoni will speak at 6:45 pm sharp, followed
by Ms. Sufian shortly thereafter.
The Blue Card, established in 1934 in Germany and organized
in the U.S. in 1939, is the only organization whose sole
mission is to provide critical financial aid for emergency
medical, dental, housing and food needs to survivors of Nazi
persecution. While the Holocaust seems like a long ago
nightmare, for survivors it is a continuing one. Of the
75,000 Holocaust survivors in the U.S., one-third live at or
below the federal poverty level. For many, the losses they
experienced decades ago are compounded by their current
struggles to subsist on meager incomes and threadbare or
nonexistent support systems. Studies show that Holocaust
survivors have higher incidences of mental illness, cancer,
and other debilitating diseases.
"The
Blue Card is delighted to bring together young professionals
committed to raising funds and heightening awareness of the
pressing needs of Holocaust survivors,"
stated The Blue Card's Executive Director, Masha Pearl. "We
are most grateful to Special Envoy Aviva Sufian and
Ambassador Ido Aharoni for participating in this important
event."
About The Blue Card
Established in Germany in 1934 as a grassroots effort and
re-established in the United States in 1939 to aid refugees
resettling in America, The Blue Card continues today to
provide direct financial assistance to needy Holocaust
survivors who live at or near the poverty line. As this
population ages, with many now living into their 80s and
90s, their needs have dramatically increased and changed,
giving rise to the need for funding of essential needs.
Funds raised from this event are used to finance our many
diverse programs including stipendiary, medical/dental,
cancer, vitamin/nutrition and holiday as well as other
initiatives for this frail and often neglected population.
The Blue Card has distributed over $24 million to date, with
100 percent of individual donations going directly to
survivors. For more information on The Blue Card, please
visit
www.bluecardfund.org
or call The Blue Card at (212) 239-2251.
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