Mt. Airy USA: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 2011 Photos

More than 250 turned out for Mt. Airy USA’s 2011 fundraising dinner Saturday night at the Commodore Barry Club. Mt. Airy USA is a community development corporation that helps redevelop under performing commercial properties and promotes home ownership through counseling.

On Saturday night, supporters of the local organization paid $150 each to dine on food prepared by chef Joseph Poon share time with a number of the special celebrity guests, which included myself and NewsWorks founder Chris Satullo of WHYY.

As part of the fundraising effort donated items were auctioned off in a silent auction. One item that stood out was a football autographed by Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick. The biggest offerings, which included trips to South Africa and Spain, were auctioned off live on-stage by guest auctioneer Satullo.

 

The mission

Mt. Airy USA Executive Director Anuj Gupta told Saturday night’s gathering that despite the tough economy his organization is providing more services than before. “In 2011, despite massive cutbacks on the federal level and complete elimination at the state level, We will provide housing counseling assistance to more individuals and families in need than ever before,” Gupta said.

Some of Mt. Airy USA’s biggest accomplishments, Gupta said, include hosting the successful Mt. Airy Night Market on August 4, and making Mt. Airy’s commercial corridor on Germantown Avenue. more inviting to businesses and residents. “We will complete the physical transformation of our stretch of America’s most historic corridor,” he said.

 

Who was there?

Some of bigger newsmakers invited as special dinner guests this year included:

State Representative Dwight Evans

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams

Mastery Charter Schools CEO Scott Gordon

Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO Timothy Rub

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers

City Council candidate Cindy Bass

 

If you know of the people in the photos, please send their names to atu@whyy.org so I can update the captions.