On Wednesday, June 22nd, USA for UNHCR and Ludus Athletics teamed up to transform the chic POV Lounge at the W Hotel into an even more stylish Miami club, complete with top DJs from South Beach.
The event was the brainchild of Ludus Athletics CEO Hamed Wardak. Wardak is a former refugee , Rhodes Scholar, Georgetown University graduate and prominent entrepreneur. Born in Afghanistan, he fled with his family to Pakistan and later resettled in the US.
Tiki Ghosn, Hamed Wardak, Arianny Celeste, and Vincent Cochetel pose for the cameras in front of the Washington Monument on the terrace of the POV Lounge.
At the event, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones, Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste, and UFC Fighter/Trainer Tiki Ghosn mingled with former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad, USA for UNHCR Board member David Tafuri, UNHCR Representative for North America and the Caribbean Vincent Cochetel and many notable DC personalities.
Models from Ludus Athletics showed off the latest designs from the latest collection, while top DJs Julian Ingrosso and Jason Vernau spun sets to get the crowd moving.
Key supporters of the event were invited to participate in a special Capitol Hill briefing the morning of June 22nd. The briefing featured a panel discussion moderated by Susan Glasser of Foreign Policy on the Global Response to Refugee Crises in the Middle East and South Asia. Panel members included:
- UNHCR Representative for North America and the Caribbean Vincent Cochetel
- President of Refugees International Michel Gabaudan
- Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali, representative of the Transitional National Council of Libya to the U.S.
- CEO Ludus Athletics Hamed Wardak
USA for UNHCR would like to thank Mr. Wardak and Ludus Athletics for their efforts in planning and hosting the events, and for generously donating proceeds from the event to aid 43 million forcibly displaced people around the world.
If you missed the event, you can still show your support for refugees around the world with a Blue Key.
All Images © Laurence Genon Photography
All Images © Laurence Genon Photography
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