SATURDAY: U.S. Celebrities, Palestinian Artists, and Advocates Partner for Virtual Gaza 5K + Digital Festival to Generate Support for Mental Health, Urgent Assistance for Refugees
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES: Saturday, June 12, 2021 MEDIA CONTACT: Laila Mokhiber, Director of Communicationslaila@unrwausa.org
SATURDAY: U.S. Celebrities, Palestinian Artists, and Advocates Partner for Virtual Gaza 5K + Digital Festival to Generate Support for Mental Health, Urgent Assistance for Refugees Hosted by UNRWA USA, the annual event will help fund critical services for Palestine refugees impacted by tragic and terrorizing violence
WASHINGTON – On Saturday, June 12, 2,000 people, including celebrities, artists, and advocates, will join UNRWA USA, the U.S. nonprofit which provides humanitarian assistance for Palestine refugees, for its annual Virtual Gaza 5K + Digital Festival supporting mental health services and direct emergency relief for refugees in the Gaza Strip and others parts of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
This year’s event follows tragic and terrorizing violence in the region that killed over 250 Palestinians, including 66 children and UNRWA students, and left thousands more without homes or access to lifesaving resources. The trauma of 11 days of airstrikes by Israel -- paired with decades of occupation, instability, and the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip -- means that access to quality mental health care is a top priority for recovery.UNRWA leadership based in the region, Palestinian and Arab American artists, and celebrity spokespeople, including actor Richard Gere, rapper Vic Mensa, and influencer Alana Hadid, will provide remarks during the digital festival. UNRWA USA’s Laila Mokhiber will co-host the festival.Funds raised from the event will go toward the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), making access to mental health care a reality for all Palestine refugee children in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA is the only UN agency that provides life-saving human development and humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees across the Middle East. Since the inaugural Gaza 5K in Washington, D.C. in 2012, UNRWA USA has brought the 5K to New York City, San Francisco, Orange County, Houston, and Chicago, and has raised over $3 million for Palestine refugees’ mental health. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, UNRWA USA took the 5K virtual and nationwide so an even larger community could still safely participate in its annual signature event. Participants can choose to walk or run the optional 5K portion of the event any time between the day they register up until 12:00 p.m. EST on June 12, 2021. Runners will track their time and submit it here. The digital festival will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST with UNRWA USA and Agency speakers, and continue with a VIP speaker series, awards ceremony for race winners and top runners, entertainment by Palestinian and Arab American artists, and more.The event is open to the media, and interview opportunities with Palestine refugees, UNRWA and UNRWA USA leadership, as well as virtual Gaza 5K participants, are welcome. Please contact laila@unrwausa.org for details and to arrange coverage.WHAT: UNRWA USA Virtual Gaza 5K + Digital Festival WHEN: Saturday, June 12, at 1 p.m. ESTWHERE: This event is being privately broadcast and is only publicly available to registered participants. If you are interested in tuning in, please contact laila@unrwausa.org.WHO: UNRWA USA and supporters across the United States
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UNRWA USA is an independent nonprofit organization that provides support for the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA USA aims to educate the general American public about the situation of Palestine refugees and generate support for UNRWA’s programs. US taxpayers are eligible for tax deductions for donations made through UNRWA USA. unrwausa.org | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram