Get Lao'd for Laos Highlights

Posing with two Rotarians (couple at centre), Mike Yap (second
 on left and Adopt a Village in Laos co-founder), and members
 of Toronto's Lao community

On the evening of Friday, February 22, 2013, I visited TWIST GALLERY in Toronto's artsy west end and attended Toronto Twilight Rotary Club's Get LAO'd for Laos fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos. As reported on Twilight Rotary Club's Twitter feed yesterday, "It was an amazing success!"

The major highlight of the evening happened midway through this well-attended event. Steve Rutledge, president of Adopt a Village in Laos, transmitted live via Skype from a small village in Laos. While the transmission only lasted for a few minutes before the connection was lost, it was a simply wonderful experience to behold.

The second highlight of the evening included guest speaker, Mike Yap, co-founder of Adopt a Village in Laos and a good friend of mine with whom I have volunteered, who had only returned from Laos a few days before.

The third highlight of the evening included another guest speaker, Tounie Keopraseuth, a member of Toronto's Lao community and my friend, who thanked everyone for their support of Adopt a Village in Laos. Later she introduced the traditional Lao dance performance.

The fourth highlight of the evening was a traditional Lao dance performance which provided guests with an opportunity to glimpse an aspect of Lao culture. The three dancers, Tex Cold, Bev Korasack and Khamkeut Keovongsa, are all members of Toronto's Lao community and personal friends of mine. Both Bev and Khamkeut are also hosts for Lao Voice, which broadcasts through Fairchild Radio to the Lao community locally and worldwide every Sunday morning between 9.00 am and 10.00 am.