High Atlas Foundation's Fifth Annual New York City Reception: Moroccan Hefla to Raise Funds for Fruit Tree Planting in Rural Morocco

High Atlas Foundation's fifth annual New York City reception will be held on the evening of November 6th at the American Institute of Architects New York. The event - a Moroccan helfa - will raise funds for fruit tree planting with rural Moroccan communities. Honorary event chairs include HRH Princess Lalla Meryem and US Ambassador to Morocco Samuel L. Kaplan and Mrs. Sylvia Kaplan. End Quote

New York, NY (1888PressRelease) October 21, 2009 - The Board of Directors of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) will host its fifth annual New York City reception – a Moroccan hefla – on the evening of Friday, November 6th (7pm-10pm) at the American Institute of Architects New York. Approximately 150 guests, including Moroccan expatriates, returned Peace Corps Volunteers, politicians, business leaders, and academicians, will take part in the evening’s festivities that include Moroccan hors d’oeuvres, a traditional tea pouring ceremony, henna artists, and music.

The event will raise funds for fruit tree planting with rural Moroccan communities, including 20,000 walnut and cherry tree saplings for the Kate Jeans-Gail Tree Nursery Memorial. Since 2003, HAF has planted nearly 150,000 fruit trees, benefitting 20,000 rural people, with the goal of planting one million trees throughout Morocco. Individual tickets are being sold for $100, $75, and $50 – $1 plants one sapling in a community tree nursery. Tickets can be purchased at http://moroccanhefla.eventbrite.com.

Honorary Event Chairs include H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem ● Aicha Afifi, Former Deputy Chief of Mission of the Moroccan Embassy, Washington DC ● Carol Bellamy, Former Director of Peace Corps ● John Entelis, PhD, Director of the Middle East Studies Program, Fordham University ● Madison Jones, Former Director of Peace Corps Morocco ● Ambassador Samuel L. Kaplan, US Ambassador to Morocco and Mrs. Sylvia C. Kaplan ● Mohamed Karmoune, Consul General for the Consulate of the Kingdom of Morocco in New York ● James Miller, PhD, President of the American Institute of Maghrib Studies ● Darcy Neill, Former Director of Peace Corps Morocco ● Jody Olsen, PhD, Former Deputy Director of Peace Corps ● Driss Ouaouicha, PhD, President of Al Akhawayn University ● Kevin Quigley, PhD, President of the National Peace Corps Association ● Tim Resch, President of Friends of Morocco ● Ambassador Frederick Vreeland, Former US Ambassador to Morocco.

This event is sponsored by the Association of Moroccan Professionals in America (AMPA) ● Café Medina ● Green Sahara Furniture ● Jeanne Beatrice ● Moroccan Prestige ● Riverview Restaurant & Lounge ● SigEp ● Simon Russell Photography ● Sintir.

The High Atlas Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by former Peace Corps Volunteers, works to establish development projects in rural Morocco that communities design and manage, and that are in partnership with government and non-government agencies.

www.highatlasfoundation.org

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