LAU launches “The Legacy and the Promise” in North America
LAU celebrated the North American launch of the first comprehensive public fundraising campaign in its history with a gala dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on February 26, 2009.
The university officially kicked off the public phase of the “The Legacy and the Promise: LAU’s Campaign for Excellence” in October 2008 in Beirut. The campaign seeks to raise $65 million to enhance student support, academic support, and facilities development.
Over 140 guests were present at the Los Angeles event, including Lebanon’s Consul General in Los Angeles Houssam Diab and Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine. The guests in attendance also included members of LAU’s administration and Board of International Advisors as well as alumni, friends, and members of the vibrant Lebanese community in the southern California region.
“We are proud and humbled to have so many wonderful supporters in the United States and across North America,” said Dr. Paul F. Boulos, chairman of the university’s Board of International Advisors.
“LAU is one of the leading universities providing a quality, American-style education to students in Lebanon and the Middle East and we are grateful to have such wide-ranging support from people who recognize how important our mandate is,” Boulos said.
The event provided an opportunity to celebrate LAU’s recent successes and to outline the impressive plans that the university has for its future growth with some of its North American constituencies.
According to LAU President Joseph Jabbra, who spoke at the event, the university has become a major force to reckon with in higher education not only in Lebanon but also throughout the entire region.
Jabbra cited recently established partnerships with American institutions, such as Partners Harvard Medical International and Northeastern University, as examples of how LAU is broadening its reach and becoming a world-class institution.
“LAU’s international reach is genuinely inspiring to all of us associated with the university,” said Robert Hollback, LAU’s Director of Development for North America. “Even thousands of miles from Lebanon we have many loyal alumni and friends. It’s heartening to know that so many people here in the U.S. believe in our mission and support what we do,” he added.
LAU is planning additional events in the coming months to introduce the campaign to more alumni and friends in other cities throughout the United States.
