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Annual Hungarian American Coalition Gala Honors Dr. August Molnar, President of the American hungarian Foundation

Emcee Andrea Lauer Rice praised Molnar for his lifetime work in preserving the heritage of Hungarian Americans

Washington, D.C. – April 18, 2008 –– A distinguished audience of Hungarian Americans received an enthusiastic welcome from Andrea Lauer Rice, founder and chief executive officer of Lauer Learning, who emceed the recent 2008 Hungarian American Coalition (HAC) Gala and Benefit in Washington, D.C.  Over 100 guests were on hand to honor Dr. August J. Molnar, the founder and president of the American Hungarian Foundation of New Brunswick, N.J.  

”I am honored to be a part of this event and to give tribute to Dr. Molnar, a truly great Hungarian American who has, for five decades, been significant in chronicling the evolution of the Hungarian American community in the United States.” Lauer-Rice, the vice president of HAC, told the event attendees.

The gala, held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., was attended by a variety of noteworthy guests, including Ambassador and Mrs. George Herbert Walker, III; Ambassador of Slovakia and Mrs. Rastislav Kacer; Ambassador and Mrs. Ferenc Somogyi; the Honorable Ernest L. Konnyu; Congressman and Mrs. Dennis Kucinich; the Honorable Mary V. Mochary; Mr. György Vámos, president of the Carl Lutz Foundation;; Dr. and Mrs. Róbert Gábriel, rector of the University of Pécs, Hungary; Dr. Zsolt Harsányi, chairman of the Board of the American Hungarian Foundation; Dr. and Mrs. Lee Edwards, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation; Mr. Damon Wilson, director for European Affairs, National Security Council and Mrs. Katherine M. Sapienza, Dr. Molnár’s daughter;

The event was co-sponsored by the William Penn Association, represented by William Bero and William Vasvary, and Mr. and Mrs., John N. Lauer of Cleveland, Ohio.

Key note speaker and Coalition President Maximilian Teleki praised Dr. Molnar for his lifetime achievements in unifying the American Hungarian community on both sides of the Atlantic.  “Dr. Molnar founded the American Hungarian Foundation (AHF) and has dedicated much of his life to leading the organization in its efforts to reach out to 2nd and 3rd generation Hungarian-Americans who may have lost their ability to speak Hungarian, but who have a love for their heritage and desire to work toward a better future for their people; and to communicate the Hungarian message to the western media and to the world.”

Teleki, together with Dr. Balazs Somogyi, co-founder and director of the Hungarian Folk Ensemble of New York, and president of the Hungarian Cultural Society of Connecticut (HCSC), presented the award of honor and appreciation to Dr. Molnar.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Molnár recognized major contributions that made the American Hungarian Foundation one of the pillars of Hungarian American life.  He emphasized the critical role of the community as a whole, shared his vision of the Foundation’s future and requested the continued support of the Hungarian American community.

Each year the Hungarian American Coalition, an educational, cultural and non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. hosts the gala benefit.  This year, proceeds from the Gala will be used to support the HAC Eva-Elemer Kiss 
Scholarship Fund and the American Hungarian Foundation (AHF), Scholarship in the name of Pricilla Molnar.

In closing, Lauer Rice expressed the Coalition’s appreciation for the continued support of the HAC Scholarship Fund and taking part in honoring Dr. Molnar, “a great Hungarian American”.  Lauer Learning, which is headquartered in Roswell, Ga, creates innovative ways to teach children about history, foreign languages and culture through multimedia.

“The overarching theme of tonight’s event, as well as a conversation many Hungarian American organizations are having nationwide, is how do we pass on interest in, and love of, our Hungarian heritage to the next generation,” Lauer Rice said in closing.  “Tonight we honored Dr, Molnar for his work to help intertwine cultures, traditions and lessons from both of our “home” countries – Hungary and the United States.  The HAC continues this work too and we appreciate your support.”

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