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KOM 2024 Annual Gala
November 21 @ 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
“Our Feet Will Carry Us”
KOM’s 2024 Annual Gala will be held on Thursday, November 21st at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center.
As the first social services agency for Karen refugees in the US, we’ve made history and changed the lives of refugees and immigrants over the past 16 years. Our network has grown due to persistence, innovation, and partnership.
We welcome you for a social hour, buffet dinner, raffle drawing, and lively program. This year, we are introducing awards to recognize those who exemplify our values and have helped to advance our mission.
Date & Time:
Thursday,
November 21st,
5:30pm – 9:30pm
Location:
Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center
6155 Earle Brown Dr,
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
Registration is now closed
You can still participate in our raffle and online silent auction! Find more info below.
Recognizing Our 2024 Gala Award Winners
Congratulations to Rosie Say for winning our Culture Bearer Award!
Rosie has been awarded the prestigious Culture Bearer Award for her incredible contributions to KOM’s mission, particularly through preserving and passing down the Karen weaving tradition to future generations.
Nominated and voted for by the KOM staff and Board of Directors, Rosie’s unwavering dedication to participating in community events has been recognized as a cherished gift. Her efforts continue to enrich the community, making a lasting impact on both culture and heritage.
Congratulations to Benjamin Aung (in memoriam) for winning our Service Award
Mr. Benjamin Aung (deceased) was a pioneering leader in Minnesota’s Karen community and other communities from Burma.
Among the first to arrive from Burma, he sponsored many refugees during the initial resettlement wave, helping to build a supportive foundation for newcomers. As a co-founder of the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) and a board member, his influence shaped decades of community growth and resilience.
His wife, Priscilla Aung, has also been a devoted advocate for the Karen community, supporting cultural preservation and empowerment. Inviting her and their family to the stage would honor not only Mr. Aung’s legacy but also her ongoing commitment, recognizing their profound and lasting impact on the community.
Congratulations to our Equity Champion Award winners Dr. Tonya Horn and
Dr. Shana Sniffen
Dr. Tonya Horn and Dr. Shana Sniffen, are champions for health equity work in response to chemical dependency. Dr. Horn and Dr. Sniffen have been steadfast partners to KOM and many others in our community health and social services programs.
Dr. Horn was a founding board member of KOM. Over the past 17 years, she has contributed her skills in research, grant writing, and clinical social work to support KOM and the Karen community in many ways, including the development of the Karen Chemical Dependency Collaborative and KOM’s youth chemical health programs. She is a mentor to many young Karen professionals who are pursuing careers in mental health and substance use counseling. She has also advocated for policy changes and financial resources to remove barriers for people from refugee and immigrant backgrounds to become licensed mental health professionals.
Dr. Sniffen is a longtime advocate, supporter and friend to the Karen community. Dr. Sniffen co-founded KCDC (Karen Chemical Dependency Collaborative) with community leaders, which brought together community members across sectors and created many of the first Karen-language resources for substance use in the United States. Dr. Shana Sniffen was a physician at the Roselawn Clinic from 2009 to 2022. Most of her patients were Karen families whom she initially met during their public health screenings for newly arrived refugees and then continued as their primary care doctor. She left the Roselawn Clinic to move to Hawaii in 2022 to help her elderly father. She is now working with Native Hawaiian Indigenous families at a community health clinic and using many of the lessons learned from working with the Karen community to help her new patients.
Harold Torrence Set to Perform!
Harold Torrence is a Latin American Guitarist and Musician. He will be performing both on stage and throughout the event. A teacher as well as a musician, Torrence regularly plays at different venues across the Twin Cities.
Register to the KOM 2024 Gala to see this incredible musician perform!
Participate in Our Raffle
The Karen Organization of Minnesota will conduct a charitable raffle at our Annual Gala The raffle will raise funds for our programs serving refugees and immigrants in Minnesota.
RAFFLE PRIZES INCLUDE:
$250 R. F. Moeller Jeweler Gift Certificate
Two Gift Certificates for a One-Hour Elements Massage ($200 value)
Four Mister Car Wash Gift Certificates ($104 value)
Two Tickets to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum ($100 value)
4 Gift Certificates to Andiamo Restaurant ($100 value)
Lettuce Entertain You Gift Card For Multiple Restaurants ($100 value)
Four Tickets to the Minnesota Zoo ($96 value)
Two Gift Baskets with Funko Pop and Gas Gift Cards ($80 value)
Gift Certificates to Porter Creek Restaurant and Café Latte ($75 value)
Gift Cards to Costco and Oriental Trading ($75 value)
Five Ultimate Car Wash Gift Cards for Kwik Trip ($50 value)
Two Baked Goods Gift Baskets ($50 value each)
Please read KOM’s House Rules for the Raffle 2024
Raffle tickets cost $20 each and must be purchased in-person from KOM staff or board members, or at the KOM office.
Must be 18 or older to purchase a ticket or win a prize. Winners will be drawn at KOM’s Annual Gala on Thursday, November 21st, 2024, 5:30pm-9:30pm at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center, 6155 Earle Brown Dr, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. Raffle tickets are not valid for event entry— gala tickets must be purchased separately. Need not be present to win. Winners will be posted on KOM’s website following the event. Winner must pick up prize at the Annual Gala or KOM office within 2 weeks of drawing date and present this raffle ticket stub to collect prize. Winner responsible for any applicable fees or taxes.
If you have any questions about the raffle, please contact Alice Buckner at or events@mnkaren.org.
Our Online Silent Auction is Live!
Not able to attend our gala in-person? You can still support us online! The Karen Organization of Minnesota will conduct a charitable silent auction for one week leading up to our 2024 Annual Gala. Through the silent auction, we hope to raise at least $5,000 for our programs serving refugees and immigrants in Minnesota. This auction is online-only.
The online silent auction will close the evening of our gala just after 7pm. Silent auction winners will be notified immediately to their phone or email.
Sign up and start bidding on our 18 items here
Thank you for your ongoing support of KOM, the Karen community, and immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. We look forward to celebrating with you at the KOM gala in November!
A special thank you to our sponsors of this year’s Gala:
PLATINUM SPONSOR:
GOLD SPONSORS:
SILVER SPONSOR:
BRONZE SPONSORS
Amherst Wilder Foundation
Bethesda Family Medicine Clinic
BIX Produce Company
Como Senior High School Staff
Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans
Emmanuel Church
First Karen Baptist Church
Health Partners
Hmong American Partnership
Intek Plastics
K’Nyaw Baptist Church
K’Nyaw Loan Officers
Prodeo Academy
Roseville Adult Learning Center
Saint Paul Police Department
Shiloh Karen Baptist Church
SKD Auto Transport
St Thomas University
Trinity Church
