On Thursday, April 28, 2011, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, The Tibet Fund will hold a gala dinner, starting at 7:00p.m., to celebrate its 30th anniversary—three decades of supporting the Tibetan people’s struggle to sustain their endangered culture and national identity.  

30 Years of Service will be an exceptional milestone event.  The Tibet Fund will proudly honor three friends who have worked tirelessly for the Tibetan people, shown outstanding commitment to the preservation of Tibetan culture, and have provided significant support to The Tibet Fund: Richard Gere and Donald and Shelley Rubin.  We are also fortunate to have the leadership of Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, who will gather 10 other great chefs to offer their signature dishes for the occasion.

Chef Eric Ripert has invited Stephane Becht, April Bloomfield, David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Scott Conant, Dan Kluger, Mark Ladner, Anita Lo, Laurent Manrique and Joseph Realmuto to lend their culinary talents to the cause and make 30 Years of Service an extraordinary and unique occasion.  The chefs will each cook for a table of 20 guests in the Pierre’s Grand Ballroom, which is being graciously donated by The Pierre Hotel.

30 Years of Service will feature a special guest artist who will perform in the program.  There will be a pre-dinner reception with Tibetan performing artists and an auction of outstanding art, photography, and experiential delights.

The Tibet Fund was founded in 1981 under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to help Tibetan refugees to rebuild their lives and ensure that Tibetan cultural, religious and national identity remain a vibrant part of our global heritage.  Since then, The Tibet Fund has grown to become the primary funding organization for health, education, refugee rehabilitation, community and economic development, and cultural preservation programs in exile and in Tibet.