On June 13, Portsmouth celebrated the 2nd annual West Africa Day with RAIN supporters and friends at The Music Hall with Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara and The Randy Armstrong World Fusion Trio with Jose Duque and Volker Nahrmann.
The celebration kicked off with a free West African drumming workshop with students of Portsmouth Middle School led by Randy and Fatoumata.
Later, friends and supporters of RAIN’s work empowering girls and women in Niger participated in a special auction with Hap Moore to raise funds for RAIN’s Learning Center for nomadic and rural students in Agadez. Mayor Eric Spear presented founder Bess Palmisciano with the Proclamation of West Africa Day in Portsmouth.
After the gala, The Music Hall flooded with the sights and sounds of Fatoumata and her band as she sance and danced with the audience with multiple encores. The gala and concert combined raised $70,000 for RAIN’s programs. To learn more about us or about how you can support the Learning Center, visit www.rain4sahara.org.
RAIN would like to thank their generous Sponsors:
Saharan Star
Josephine Lamprey
Guiding Star
Granite State Shuttle Service
Water Recycling International
Insurrcom, Inc.
Rob Carrigg, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
PAX World Fund
The David Taft Foundation
Geoffery Clark & Martha Fuller Clark
Super Nova
QHT, Inc.
Bow Family Dentistry
Duffy Oil in Memory of Geraldine Duffy
Precision Auto Service of Portsmouth
Joe McDowell
John Ahlgren
Allison Reedy & Shane Smith
Lee & Anthony Irons
Lee & John Lamson
Patience & Tom Chamberlin
Katie & Doug Wheeler
Susan Hirshberg & John Wall
Janet Prince & Peter Bergh
Harry Schult
Star Catcher
DF Richard Energy
Opus Advisors, LLC
McLane Law Firm
North Mills Realty Trust
Wentworth Greenhouse
Margo & John Stever
Betsy & Frank Wilczek
Joan & Frank Graf
Nancy & David Borden
Sally Smyser
Kathy Richards
Tom McCarron, Betty Tamposi & Terrie Harman
Irene & John Bush
Zenagui Brahim
Star Gazer
Mary Taft & Leslie Smith
Pat & Lou Salome
Ree & Firoze Katrak
RAIN Board of Directors:
Bess Palmisciano – Executive Director
John Ahlgren – Chair
Dana Jeanblanc – Vice Chair
Harry Schult – Treasurer
Nancy Borden – Secretary
Kathleen Hofer –Event Chair
Lou Salome
Allison Reedy
Janet Prescott
