Sagal Annual Friends Celebration: A Night of Radio & Entertainment
Friends, family and community members shuffled into Clarkston Community center on April 27th to celebrate yet another year of Sagal Radio. The back wall of the banquet hall featured stunning works of art along with other items well-wishers had donated, which audience members were invited to purchase through a silent auction. For guests who weren’t interested in bidding wars, event organizers sold raffle tickers for a media plays and a Barnes & Noble nook, both preloaded with a multitude of Sagal media clips.
The night was a collaborative effort between Sagal Radio and other organizations in the community. Guests were treated to a bountiful buffet, provided by the Desta Ethiopian Kitchen East/West Catering, and dinner on tables decorated by fabrics from the Refugee Sewing Society of Atlanta.
Sagal Radio Director, Hussien Muhamed, provided a welcome to his guests through the program, writing, ““We hope you take advantage of meeting new people, learning more about the station and the people who bring you the radio every Saturday, as well as enjoying the silent auction, entertainment, and delicious food.”
After the delicious dinner had been thoroughly enjoyed, and a brief welcome from the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Brian Bollinger, the entertainment for the night began. Students involved in the HEARMe project, a collaborative effort between Sagal Radio, Emory University, and other sponsors, presented a video on the project to the audience. The video showed how Sagal not only functions as a radio station, but is integrated into the community it caters to, constantly organizing projects and events for new Americans living in the area.
Next came the sound of djembes being drummed as the Main Street Charter School Music Department made their way from the back of the banquet hall, drumming through the crowd as they reached the stage. Their presentation was entitled Somali Youth Leadership: each of the children dressed as prominent Somali leaders and shared facts about their chosen leader with the audience. One of the most adorable moments of the performance was when one of the youngest male students, dressed as K’naan, recited a poem by the Somalian rapper entitled “Wavin’ Flag”. The choice of song shared both Somali history and a message of hope with his listeners.
The next performance was by Dr. Obi Chidebelu-Eze, author of a series of cultural children stories including The Tales of the Tortoise: Inspirational Stories of Wisdom. Dr. Chidebelu-Eze recounted the story of how the tortoise got crack in his shell, sharing a classic east African legend.
The Bhutanese Artists of Georgia closed the show with an electrifying rock band set. As the silent auction ended, the raffle winners were announced and the highest bidders on each auction item claimed their prizes. Overall, the night was a success, raising over $1300 to fund the next year of Sagal Radio, getting the organization much closer to their yearly goal for covering operational costs.
