The Pakistan Relief Group hosted a dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 28 that kicked off its fundraising events for the semester. According to Anushka Aqil '12, a coordinator of the event, approximately 100 people attended the dinner, which raised over $1,000, all of which will go toward aiding Pakistanis affected by flooding. Floods have devastated the Pakistan since July 26, leaving 21 million citizens displaced and killing over 2,000.

The money will be given to three charities that are helping to provide the victims of the flood with clean water, bread and medicine, and will also help to give shelter to those whose houses were destroyed, according to Aqil.

The idea for an on-campus Pakistan Relief Group originally came from Aqil. In a Sept. 16 interview with the Justice, she said that she started inviting other students online to see who would be interested in forming a fundraising force. Many clubs have since gotten involved and are planning to have events all throughout the semester. They are looking to raise between $25,000 and $30,000; this dinner was their first attempt at putting a dent into that ambitious goal. On Friday, Oct. 1, Zeta Beta Tau hosted a party that charged $5 at the door for admission and raised approximately $2,100, all of which they will donate to the Pakistan Relief Group.

Aziz Sohail '13, who helped coordinate the event, said in a Sept. 16 interview with the Justice that there will be posters up around campus with the dates of all future fundraising events to keep students informed of them.

Multiple clubs, such as the South Asian Students Association, the Muslim Students Association and the Interfaith Chaplaincy, helped sponsor the event and also aided with the decorations that adorned Sherman Function Hall.

The dinner consisted of traditional Pakistani foods such as jasmine rice; vegetables cooked in curry; and daal, a vegetarian Pakistani dish.

The Pakistani theme was further illustrated by the decor of Sherman Function Hall. A large Pakistani flag adorned one wall, and white Christmas lights bordered all four walls.

Aqil said that Seema Anand, professional caterer and mother of Nitika Anand '12, was in charge of cooking all of the food, and Mary Brustal, mother of Alex Brustal '10, baked the cakes that were served for dessert. During the dinner, attendees could watch a slideshow with facts and pictures from Pakistan Flood Disaster Relief, which is the group aiding Pakistan through the U.S. Department of State.

Sohail said in a Sept. 28 interview with the Justice that the students who attended the event he really enjoyed the food, and that Seena Anand and Mary Brustal "really stepped up and took charge of cooking the food, which they did all for free." He also said that he was very pleased that all of the effort put forth by the organizers paid off.

Aqil said in an interview with the Justice, "[The dinner] turned out amazing." She said that she was very pleased that people came out to support, and she was also extremely happy that "everyone [seemed] very satisfied with the food."

Ryan Fanning '11, who emceed the event, said in an interview with the Justice that it was great that "they were able to put on such a wonderful event so quickly." Fanning spoke at the beginning of the dinner about the cause and the desperate need for help.

Gabi Sanchez-Stern '12, who attended the dinner, said in an interview with the Justice that she was glad so many people were there to support the cause. "[The dinner] is great. . I'm glad the people in charge put such a lovely event on.