What’s Happening on March 31, 2018?
Estonians and friends of Estonians are coming together in NYC on Saturday, March 31, 2018 to celebrate the centennial of Estonian independence in grand style. EV100 Gala NYC will take place in the elegant Grand Ballroom of the Essex House, located on Central Park South; a fitting site for this noteworthy event.
Inspired by memories of the legendary balls of the NY Estonian Men’s Chorus and the Estonian Athletic Organization in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, we hope to afford a similar experience to the younger adult generation of Estonians. We invite you to come and celebrate at this once-in-a-lifetime event.
What else is happening that weekend?
Actually, the celebration of the centennial of Estonian independence in NYC will start before and continue after the Gala. Think of it as our own East Coast Estonian Festival (Idaranniku Eesti Päevad) presented under the sponsorship of the Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters, Inc. Midweek will begin the traditional NY Estonian Cultural Days, which will explore our Estonian roots and reflect on the future for Estonians. Saturday night is the EV100GalaNYC in the Grand Ballroom of the Essex House. On Sunday there is a concert of Estonian music in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The Esto-Atlantis Choir, under the direction of Maaja Roos will present music of Rudolph Tobias and Helen Tobias Duesberg.
Who is organizing EV100 Gala NYC?
The planning committee is an interesting mix of people of different ages and backgrounds. Leading the committee is Karin Koorits-Ashford, who has demonstrated exceptional organizational abilities and attention to details during these past months. Tiina Vaska is heading fund-raising and guiding our efforts to raise money through donations and other fund-raising initiatives. Maria Becker is working on the EV100 Gala webpage and accounting to make sure ticket orders and donations are accepted seamlessly and information is properly disseminated. Mari Teedla, Merle Jalakas and Merike Barborak are working on the program and promising a very exciting evening of dancing and entertainment. Kadi Dulude is managing advertising on social media and producing promotional materials to increase awareness of our work and goals. Ilomai Kurrik and Tiina Järver are consulting on catering, Aili Puskar, our sommelier, is advising on beverages, and Laura Narits and Hele-Mai Varik will be creating a welcoming and celebratory ambiance for the event.
What brought us together and unified us in this project is our love and appreciation for Estonia and our desire to produce a wonderful celebration for Estonia on its 100th birthday. We have been working together and planning since spring to make this a unique event, the likes of which has not been experienced in the NY Estonian community for a long time.
What is the entertainment for the gala?
Be prepared and wear your dancing shoes! The evening program will take us through a retrospective of the music to which Estonians have danced and celebrated during the past century.
In addition to a live band, we have 6 young ladies from the Estonian ensemble “Mesi,” whose songs will entice our guests to the dance floor and take them down memory lane. We will, also, be giving our guests the rare opportunity of getting a sneak preview of some songs from the future Broadway musical, “Singing Revolution.” Then we have our own well-known DJ, Stefan Skonberg, who will be providing music later in the evening. Continued on p. 11 Of course, as plans continue, we hope to bring some more surprises into our program.
Do we need to make reservations for seating?
This is an evening for celebrating, for dancing, for toasting Estonia with old friends and for finding new friends. There’s an open bar and buffet tables with light food and dessert. Plenty of seating will be available at tables but guests can also eat while standing or circulating around the room. If a guest would like to reserve a table for a group, this can be easily arranged. Just email your request to [email protected].
What is the expected attire?
As this is an especially elegant event in a beautiful venue, it seems like the perfect opportunity to really dress up. Elegant gowns and suits definitely. Black-tie is optional. Of course, your beautiful Estonian folk costume is also appropriate for such an event.
Where do I buy tickets?
Tickets can be ordered through our website, www.EV100GalaNYC.org. If you choose to pay by check, make it out to The Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters, Inc and send it to Ines K Horton, 235 East 62nd Street, Apt 2F, NY, NY 10065. Note on the check that it is payment for the Gala tickets.
Be advised! Purchase your ticket now as tickets are selling briskly. One third of tickets have already been purchased. After Dec. 31, 2017 the price of the ticket goes up.
Why are you asking for donations?
We have priced the ticket as low as possible in an effort to make this event available to all. But at $160 the ticket price only covers the rental of the room, food and open bar. This is only part of the cost of organizing an event of this size in NYC and we are depending on donations to help cover the other expenses. That’s why we appeal for donations as well as sell tickets.
Our goal is to bring together the east coast Estonian community and its organizations, and with their combined effort create a memorable Eesti 100 jubilee. We are very grateful for the generous donations we have already received from organizations and individuals. More donations and sponsors, however, are needed.
All sponsors and donors will be able to create a personal greeting, salutation or toast to Estonia, which will be printed in the Gala Program. Sponsors’ names or their company name and/or logo will be advertised in the Gala Program, in the EV100 Gala NYC website and Facebook. All donations are tax deductible.
Is the purpose of the EV100Gala NYC to collect money for a particular cause?
Our first goal is to cover our costs while keeping the cost of tickets within a reasonable range so Estonians and friends can participate. If, through the generosity of our donors we accumulate more money than needed, those moneys would go to The Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters to help carry out the Cultural Days.
How can i help?
Most important is to come to the Gala! Bring your friends and family and come celebrate Estonian’s Independence Centennial. We all have experienced the dilemma of finding a good gift for Christmas or a birthday for someone who has everything. Well, why not give tickets to the Gala to your mother, father, grandparents or adult or older teen children this year! EV100Gala will be the NY Estonian party. We’d like everybody to have a magical Gala experience that they will remember and cherish for years.
