The 6th Daughters for Life Gala Dinner 2018

Christiane Amanpour, Vera Baboun and Dr. Michael Dan are the top honourees at this year’s gala

DFL scholar panel discussions and a performance from Amanda Martinez are few of the new programs from this year’s gala

The sixth annual Daughters for Life Gala was held at the Carlu honouring three extraordinary individuals who have made a lasting impact in the international community. Christiane Amanpour, women’s rights advocate and renowned chief international correspondent at CNN, received The Lifetime Achievement Luminary Award, Vera Baboun, first woman mayor of the City of Bethlehem, received The Trailblazer Luminary Award and Dr. Michael Dan, former neurosurgeon and founder of the Paloma Foundation, received The Leadership Luminary Award. The gala also recognized brilliant DFL scholars by providing them with a platform to share their stories and how the Canadian registered charity has helped them in pursuing their educational dreams.

Dr. Michael Dan, Christiane Amanpour, Vera Baboun and Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish at the Carlu in Toronto.

The cocktail reception started with a live painting by Mike Hammer, a Toronto-based artist who created eclectic artistic pieces for the silent auction.

In his emotional opening remarks, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish shared with the audience the tragedy that led him to create the Daughters for Life Foundation. He also reminded the audience that no less than 400 deserving women from the Middle East have received the 55 scholarship, awards, bursaries and fellowships, since the charity’s foundation establishment in 2010, to pursue their academic ambitions.

Christiane Amanpour, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish and the DFL scholars and team at the Carlu in Toronto.

“Empowering women through education is the only way to stop hatred,” says Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, founder of Daughters for Life Foundation. “Today’s event recognized these strong women and their accomplishments in their respective fields. Our aim through this gala is to educate people about the potential of Middle Eastern women and how DFL aims to help these women through financial support.”

Dinnertime entertainment included an exclusive performance from Amanda Martinez, a Juno Award nominee and one of Canada’s finest singer/songwriters.

All funds raised through this event go towards supporting Middle Eastern women through education. The Daughters for Life Gala Dinner 2018 supports the empowerment of young Middle Eastern women to achieve their potential through education.