Vision
The holiday season brings forth a time of tradition and celebration. For many Dalhousie students traveling home to enjoy this time with family is difficult, and so they will instead remain on campus. For the past four years, the Dalhousie Alumni community has marked the holidays with these students in what has become our own tradition of community and celebration— the annual International Student Holiday Dinner.
Strategy
Alumni volunteers are working with the International Student Centre to organize our fifth-annual East Coast holiday meal for our international and out-of-town students. This year’s dinner is set for December 18, 2019, and we invite you to share the holiday spirit by contributing to the costs of the holiday dinner.
The first International Student Holiday Dinner took place four years ago when alumni volunteers sought to offer a meaningful experience for our international students. The dinner was a tremendous success and it was decided then that this would be an annual event.
Since 2015, over 700 students, alumni, staff and faculty have come together to share their traditions, holiday spirit, and of course a delicious meal made possible by dedicated volunteers and you, our generous donors. Now as we prepare for our fifth celebration, we are again turning to our community to help support this worthwhile cause.
“I had the opportunity to attend the Dinner in 2015 as a student. It was a great event; we shared a Canadian holiday dinner and I felt included in the local holiday celebrations. I am glad that this has become an annual event that assures students that, even if they are far away from their own family, they are an integral part of the Dalhousie family.” -Mahbubur Rahman (MASc’16)
“I recalled how it was like when I was a foreign student staying behind in the practically empty Howe Hall in Christmas time. I like to support this meaningful idea.” – Peter Ping-Kuen Chow (BSc’70, BScPh’72)
Impact
A donation of $20 enables one student to enjoy a meal in the company of their friends and community. For many of our guests, this is the only holiday meal they will attend, and so with a fundraising goal of $4,000, we hope to invite another 200 guests to participate in this cherished tradition.
Supporters
Colleen Currie
Hilary Karakatsanis
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Peter Ping-Kuen Chow
Once again, it is my privilege to be able to contribute to this meaningful event in which foreign students (I was one fifty years ago), being thousand miles away from home may receive some comfort to their loneliness in the festive season.
Margaret Shirley
I remember a holiday away from home as a graduate student. This is a great program.
Brian R Johnston Procorp.
Robert Lewington
May you enjoy this Holiday Dinner and all of the traditions, music and goodwill we celebrate at this time of the year. Dalhousie is proud of the fact you decided to study at this great institution. Merry Christmas, Robert Lewington
John Akabutu
I was a foreign medical student at Dalhousie many years ago. I know the experience of longing for home during the Holiday Season all too well. My family and I send our best wishes to all the students far away from home during this holiday season. We applaud Dalhousie for this initiative and will continue to give our support in the years ahead. Sincerely, Dr. & Mrs.John J. Akabutu & Family Edmonton.
Judy Flecknell
Grant MacEachern
Season's Greetings! Studying is hard yet enjoyable work. I hope this meal helps fuel your ongoing studies. Happy Holidays.
Lex MacNeil
Please enjoy this event and some true Maritime hospitality during this special time of the year!
Sandy Kapur
Victoria Goldring
John Humble
Enjoy the the holidays and the holiday feast with friends from the Dal community. John Humble
Ralph Rosere
Karen Dodge
Joseph Macdonald
I have spent Christmas in other countries on multiple occasions, and nothing is better than felling like part of a family during the holiday season.
Bissett Student Success Centre
We are happy to support our students in having a wonderful Holiday dinner!
Gordon Fenton
I think that it is really great to put on this holiday dinner so that our international and out-of-town students, who cannot be with their own families, can still celebrate the season with their Dalhousie family!
