Riz-Gagnon Fundraiser for Beirut
Donation protected
We are Mike Riz and Amanda Gagnon.
My husband, Mike Riz, was born and raised in Lebanon. I was lucky enough to marry into an incredible family of loving, inspirational people who still call Beirut their home.
I am sure that you have heard about the devastating explosion that rocked Beirut last Tuesday. We are so grateful for the love and the supportive messages that we have received from friends and family here in the U.S. Thank you! Many of you expressed a desire to help by donating, so we have launched this page to create that opportunity.
We have chosen two charitable organizations to benefit from the funds we collect. We are collecting the money ourselves and sending it through the outlets named below. Many of you may not know this, but there is tremendous difficulty accessing funds in Lebanon due to an economic crisis that pre-dates both the explosion and the pandemic. So, we asked each organization how best to get them funds quickly, and we are taking their recommendations. 100% of the money collected will be donated (50% to each organization).
The first organization is a group called Bassma . Their mission is to aid people from disadvantaged economic backgrounds who need food, shelter, or other basic care. The organization is currently raising funds to help rebuild homes. We will send the money to them via bank wire to Bassma's bank Audi account, so that they can access the funds right away through an international transfer.
The second is a group called Animals Lebanon . They are working overtime to assist the animals who have been injured, stuck in destroyed buildings, separated from their humans, etc. If you would like to read more about my relationship with this organization and my commitment to helping both animals and humans, please read my recent blog post here . We will send the money collected here through PayPal, where they have a 501(c)3 sponsor accepting donations on their behalf (Animal People Forum Organization), who will then transfer 100% of donations.
We will be collecting donations until Saturday. Please donate as soon as possible. The need is urgent.
If you have questions or messages of support please message me directly through the links provided by GoFundMe.
More information about who we are, for those who aren't familiar:
Mike Riz is the owner of Salon Riz on West 82nd Street and I am the owner of Amanda Gagnon Dog Training on West 85th (in Manhattan). We have lived and worked in this community for more than a decade. We are married, with one daughter (The lovely, Savannah Riz) and one dog-o (Drago, the Dude). We travel often to Beirut to visit family and friends. I have also spent extensive time in Lebanon conducting research on the relationship between dogs and humans in Lebanese culture.
My husband, Mike Riz, was born and raised in Lebanon. I was lucky enough to marry into an incredible family of loving, inspirational people who still call Beirut their home.
I am sure that you have heard about the devastating explosion that rocked Beirut last Tuesday. We are so grateful for the love and the supportive messages that we have received from friends and family here in the U.S. Thank you! Many of you expressed a desire to help by donating, so we have launched this page to create that opportunity.
We have chosen two charitable organizations to benefit from the funds we collect. We are collecting the money ourselves and sending it through the outlets named below. Many of you may not know this, but there is tremendous difficulty accessing funds in Lebanon due to an economic crisis that pre-dates both the explosion and the pandemic. So, we asked each organization how best to get them funds quickly, and we are taking their recommendations. 100% of the money collected will be donated (50% to each organization).
The first organization is a group called Bassma . Their mission is to aid people from disadvantaged economic backgrounds who need food, shelter, or other basic care. The organization is currently raising funds to help rebuild homes. We will send the money to them via bank wire to Bassma's bank Audi account, so that they can access the funds right away through an international transfer.
The second is a group called Animals Lebanon . They are working overtime to assist the animals who have been injured, stuck in destroyed buildings, separated from their humans, etc. If you would like to read more about my relationship with this organization and my commitment to helping both animals and humans, please read my recent blog post here . We will send the money collected here through PayPal, where they have a 501(c)3 sponsor accepting donations on their behalf (Animal People Forum Organization), who will then transfer 100% of donations.
We will be collecting donations until Saturday. Please donate as soon as possible. The need is urgent.
If you have questions or messages of support please message me directly through the links provided by GoFundMe.
More information about who we are, for those who aren't familiar:
Mike Riz is the owner of Salon Riz on West 82nd Street and I am the owner of Amanda Gagnon Dog Training on West 85th (in Manhattan). We have lived and worked in this community for more than a decade. We are married, with one daughter (The lovely, Savannah Riz) and one dog-o (Drago, the Dude). We travel often to Beirut to visit family and friends. I have also spent extensive time in Lebanon conducting research on the relationship between dogs and humans in Lebanese culture.
Fundraising team (3)
Amanda Gagnon
Organizer
New York, NY
Jenny Blackham
Team member
Eric Swanson
Team member