It’s less than six months into the new year, and already Developments in Literacy is having a monumental year! Dedicated volunteer-run chapters across the country have continued to put on spectacular events of all sizes to showcase the great work that DIL does in an effort to fundraise for the education of children in Pakistan. We are excited to share with you some tidbits from these past events:

On March 1, the DIL Atlanta chapter hosted a successful, intimate dinner at the private residence of Dr. Gulshan Harjee, with live music by Anand Srinivasan.

That same month, the DIL San Diego chapter held their DIL DIL Pakistan Day on March 28 at the local Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine restaurant. Speaking to an almost sold-out venue, Ms. Sara Abassi, Chair of the U.S. Board of Directors, shared her personal experiences and spoke about why DIL played such a big role in her life. Other notable stars of the evening included various local children’s groups, who sang and danced their way into the hearts of all those in attendance.

Our next event of 2014 took place in Phoenix, Arizona on April 5. This inaugural gala was held at a private residence and began with red carpet photographs and a festive cocktail hour, then proceeded into a sumptuous dinner, and concluded with dancing and live musical entertainment.

Just six days later, beginning April 11, DIL hosted its Annual Retreat in Orange County, California. The two-day retreat included presentations by CEO Fiza Shah, Skype sessions with our program team in Pakistan, event planning and fundraising strategies, financial compliance demonstrations, and much more! The surprise guest speaker was Ms. Kay Sprinkel Grace, a professional fundraising consultant who helped us see that every one of us has the potential to be part of the “AAA” process (by being an Ambassador, an Advocate, and an Asker!).

On April 27, the YourDIL Chicago chapter held their informative event titled “The Good News from Pakistan,” which featured world-renowned visionaries on education Sir Michael Barber and Saad Rizvi. Guests were also treated to a special musical performance by Zeshan Bagewadi.

Keeping the momentum going, our next event was the Basant Night Gala, hosted by the DIL Las Vegas chapter at the beautiful Treasure Island Resort and Casino on May 10. Emceed by Paula Dilworth Francis, news anchor at KLAS-TV, this event was a spectacular evening of vibrant colors, exciting musical performances, and couture fashion shows by Kamal Beverly Hills.

Our most recent event was the DIL Los Angeles chapter’s Annual Walk to Educate, which was held on May 18 at the beautiful Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California. Before the ceremonial walk, guests welcomed by longtime DIL supporter, Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, and afterwards indulged in all-you-can-eat delicious barbecue food and ice cream, played games, won prizes, and more!