Thank You for 2020 Gala Support & All In NYC
By Joseph Balaz | As we are heading into the fall, in compliance with the New York City rules, we cannot invite you back for in-person events at our beautiful Bohemian National Hall, not yet. However, BBLA and its member organizations feature events online. I strongly encourage you to join their upcoming enticing lectures and presentations, and check their recent events on YouTube. Follow us on social media to see what and when happens in our community, and when and how we reopen for in-person events.
As you know, BBLA and VHLF 2020 Annual Gala took place last month – our most important annual appeal in support of culture and Czech and American relationships. I would like to thank all the guests and supporters – and particularly members of our community – who joined us in celebrating cultural diplomacy and helped us raise much needed funds. Thank you!
The most generous supporters of the 2020 Annual Gala and Benefit Auction
The virtual gala program, with appearances of Ben Kallos, the NYC Council Member for our 5th Council District, Manhattan, Tomas Petricek, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, among others, premiered on YouTube on September 24 . You can still watch it here.
We are profoundly grateful for the continuous interest and support of Council Member Ben Kallos, who said in his opening remarks: “You may have read a number of attention grabbing headlines offering obituaries for New York City. To borrow from Mark Twain, the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. New York City is very much alive, very much in part because of our immigrants’ communities. Forty percent of New York City residents were not born in the United States, and that is what made our city strong. The Bohemian National Hall was built in 1896. After more than a century, surviving the Spanish flu and now Corona virus, I know that the Czech community is here to stay.”
Our special thanks go to the artists who donated their unique works for our first online benefit auction. We raised over $5,000! I am the proud owner of the fine art print Scouts by Michal Gabriel, the renowned Czech sculptor whose works you can see in many public spaces in Prague and other cities.
New York is the city that makes the impossible, possible. When faced with a challenge, the city rallies and comes together in extraordinary ways. Businesses citywide are ready to welcome you back with incredible offers and new health and safety protocols. Our Bohemian Spirit Restaurant, apart from its outdoor seating, reopens its inside dining again! We are proud to join the All In NYC campaign and invite you back at Bohemian Spirit Restaurant to enjoy Pilsner Urquell and Czech cuisine and show your support for our community.
We could not do it without you.
Stay well and safe,
Joseph Balaz
President
Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association
