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District Winery, 2022 Roots Annual Event
Roots of Development’s Annual Event
15+ years bringing together community and culture.
Every year, diverse and influential guests, business and political leaders, gather in Washington D.C. to support Roots of Development and advocate for a more sustainable approach to development.
The annual event is our most important fundraiser of the year, helping us raise a significant portion of the funds we use to carry out our mission every year.
Thank you so much to everyone who attended and donated to our 2022 Annual Event.
You made the night a success and continue to make our work possible.
Our Generous 2022 Corporate Sponsors
This event is SOLD OUT.
CELEBRATING OUR ROOTS:
Our 15th Year Anniversary Event
Wednesday, November 2, 2022 6:00-9:00pm (EDT)
District Winery, 385 Water Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
6:00pm-7:00pm VIP reception (for VIP ticket holders only)
7:00pm-9:00pm Main event (doors open for general admission at 6:30pm)
Dress attire is business formal. Public parking is available directly beside District Winery on the corner of 4th and Water St in The Yards Lot Q gated parking for $2-$3 per hour.
The 2022 Annual Event Host Committee
Rudy N. Brioché (Chair) – Karen Andre (Vice-chair) – Luc Castera – George Walker & Rudolph Chandler – Rudy & Daniel Pressoir – Marie Maude Pyle
General Admission
Featuring a special presentation, food, and award-winning wine.
This year’s event will celebrate our most recent accomplishments and the lives we have impacted over the past 15 years. We will hear from a representative of our partner organization in Haiti and the architect helping us design and build a community leadership & development center on the island of La Gonave. We will be accompanied that evening by several special guests and celebrate this year’s Max Pulgar-Vidal Award recipient, Karine Jean-Pierre, all from the rooftop of a beautiful waterfront venue – a winery – just south of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The evening will begin with a VIP reception (details below) at 6:00pm, with doors opening up to the general public at 6:30pm. Included in your ticket is food, drink, and live entertainment.
Our annual event is your chance to learn more, get up to speed with latest developments, and support our work. Roots of Development is a 501c3 organization, your tickets and donations to the event are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
VIP Reception from 6-7pm
An exclusive opportunity to meet our special guests and support Roots of Development’s work.
VIP ticket holders will have the chance to meet and speak with our special guests more intimately, while enjoying views of the waterfront, live music, an exclusive spread of charcuterie, cheese, olives, wine, and a Haitian rum cocktail made exclusively for the event.
VIP guests will also enjoy a live musical performance by Loide Jorge and Kameleon Beats and go home with a special gift bag – a Roots cloth tote bag – that includes a piece of handmade metal art and a bottle of one of District Winery’s exclusive wines.
The VIP reception is a great way to begin the evening, speak with our special guests, enjoy great food and drink, and support our work with a generous, tax deductible donation.
Some of our 15th Anniversary Special Guests
Our 2022 Honoree: Karine Jean Pierre
In recognition of her extraordinary career, her achievements in advancing civil and human rights in the U. S. and abroad, and her commitment to Haiti and its people, Roots of Development is proud to honor Karine Jean-Pierre with the 2022 Max Pulgar-Vidal Award.
From the streets of Queens to the halls of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre has fought throughout her career to make this country and its democracy stronger and fairer. She has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the rights of others, is a proud member of the Haitian community and an inspiration to us all.
The Max Pulgar-Vidal Award is named after a senior advisor to the Inter-American Development Bank and a leader in the field of development. The award was created in 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti and first presented to Mr. Pulgar-Vidal posthumously.
Update (10/21/2021): Karine Jean-Pierre’s schedule has changed and will no longer be able to attend the event on November 2nd. She will be recording and sharing a video to accept the award.
Past Honorees
The Max Pulgar-Vidal Award
Karl Racine, D.C. Attorney General (2021)
Bill Nelson, former US Senator-FL (2018)
Laurent Lamothe, former Prime Minister of Haiti (2015)
Commitment to Community Award
Haitian Ladies Network (2019)
Louino Robillard, Konbit Soley (2016)
Hubert Normil, CDECH Haiti (2014)
District Winery – An Urban Winery in Washington, D.C.
District Winery is Washington, D.C.’s first-ever fully-functional winery, located in the neighborhood of Navy Yard in the Capitol Riverfront community. With its award-winning wine and gorgeous views of the Anacostia River from its Rooftop Terrace, we are excited to introduce you to this venue this year.
Co-founders Brian Leventhal and John Stires previously worked together in New York City and for several years made their own wine recreationally. After realizing how much fun winemaking is, Brian and John quit their jobs to open Brooklyn Winery in the vibrant and creative Williamsburg neighborhood. Now, the duo has brought their winery concept to Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
The Navy Yard district is known for its nautical history, the Nationals Park baseball stadium, and its riverside boardwalk along the Anacostia River. Just south of the U.S. Capitol, this vibrant waterfront neighborhood is home to beautiful parks, outdoor art installations, and an award-winning restaurant scene.
What your contribution will support
Achieving our 2022 objectives and expanding our efforts in 2023.
Before this year ends, we need your support implementing 5 infrastructure projects on La Gonave, opening 4 small businesses that add to the local economy and help our Volonte Pou Chanjman learn entrepreneurial skills, offering 2 new motorcycle courses to an additional 32 young women, and providing project management workshops and trainings to over 200 local leaders and 25 elected officials on the island.
In 2023, we will be expanding our portfolio of partners, building the Community Leadership & Development Center on La Gonave, and sharing best practices, tools, and resources with a wider audience, in order to inspire a broader movement toward development without dependency.
Roots of Development is emerging as a pioneer of a promising new era in international development that empowers those who are living in poverty to lead the fight against it.
About Roots of Development
Roots of Development is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports and advocates for a more sustainable approach to development in Haiti and around the world.
We believe in a world in which the very communities living in poverty are the ones leading the fight against it; a world in which communities decide their own future and manage their own development.
This year’s event will celebrate our accomplishments and all the lives impacted over the past 15 years. We will hear from representatives of our partner organization in Haiti and share plans to expand our efforts and advocate for development without dependency elsewhere.
To learn more about our work, visit www.rootsofdevelopment.org/whatwedo.
To get to know our staff and leadership, visit www.rootsofdevelopment.org/whoweare
View our Haitian Metal Art Collection
Pieces from our Haitian metal art collection will be on display and available for purchase at the event. 100% of the proceeds support Roots of Development’s community-led development work in Haiti.
Each of the pieces in our collection is handmade and hammered from recycled oil drums. They are individually selected and purchased directly from the artists of Croix-des-Bouquets.
They are one-of-a-kind pieces that portray objects and animals found in nature, scenes from Haiti, and characters found in Haitian culture and folklore. They can be hung indoors or outdoors and measure approximately 24″ x 24″.
You can browse the entire collection now at https://store.rootsofdevelopment.org.
Roots of Development’s 2022 Annual Event
Donation and Ticket Order Form
If you are interested in upgrading a ticket you already purchased from general admission to VIP, email us at info@rootsofdevelopment.org.
Roots of Development is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN 80-0490699). Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.