International Relief Teams Raises $275,000 at 'Gifts of Hope' Gala

Nov. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Contact: Greg Kershaw

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INTERNATIONAL RELIEF TEAMS RAISES $275,000 AT ‘GIFTS OF HOPE’ GALA

Event Helps Fund the Organization’s Aid Efforts Domestically and Abroad

         SAN DIEGO – Nov. 14 2012 – At its 19th annual Gifts of Hope Gala, San Diego-based International Relief Teams celebrated the contributions that will change the lives of victims of disaster, poverty and neglect around the world.

         The event, held Saturday, Oct. 27 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina, included dinner, cocktails, special opportunity drawings, a live auction and dancing. Local KGTV anchor and reporter Kimberly Hunt served as the emcee. The event’s auction items, special drawings and ticket sales raised more than $275,000 toward International Relief Teams’ efforts around the world.

“I’m so thankful to everyone that came out and donated,” said Barry La Forgia, executive director of International Relief Teams. “We are overwhelmed at their generosity and will continue to efficiently use what we have to make a positive lasting impact on the lives of those who need us most.”

This year, International Relief Teams constructed shelter for homeless disaster victims in Alabama and Haiti, and provided life-saving medicine for children in need around the world. The organization also transformed lives through surgery for families in remote locations, and by providing food and education for families and children in shelters and orphanages.

International Relief Teams recently received a four-star Charity Navigator rating for efficiency for the ninth consecutive year – the only San Diego charity to receive that distinction. More than 98 percent of the organization’s donations go directly into programs that help people in need.

For more information on International Relief Teams, or to assist with disaster efforts by making a donation or volunteering, visit www.IRTeams.org or call 619/284-7979.

International Relief Teams, based in San Diego, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists victims of disaster, poverty and neglect.  Serving those in need with efficiency and integrity, the organization focuses on four core areas – medical training, surgical outreach, building healthy communities, and disaster relief – that combine short-term relief efforts and long-term programs to save and change lives.