Washington, DC – On September 23, 2017, California-based The Ambassadors of the Future (AF) hosted a Benefit Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (Beverly Hills, CA) and raised $15,000 in support of the Hungarian American Coalition’s (Coalition) Bognár Family Hungarian Scholarship Fund (BFHSF).

AF’s founder, Adam Beres, and donor Eva Konkoly presented the organization’s first Certificate of Recognition to Professor Béla Bognár and a check for $15,000, to Eva Voisin, member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition and Dennis Fredricks, member of the Coalition. 

BFHSF was established in 1999 by Dr. Béla and April Bognár to provide assistance to qualified Hungarian university students with an excellent academic record and financial need in Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, Serbia, and the United States.  The founders have raised approximately $700,000 since its inception and have awarded 229 scholarships. In 2014, the Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition) took over administrative duties for this program, including fundraising, selecting scholarship recipients and program evaluation.  

Mr. Dennis Fredricks and Honorary Consul, Mrs. Éva E. Voisin holding the Ambassadors’ first Certificate of Recognition to Professor Bela Bognar and the check of the donation at the Benefit Gala in Beverly Hills, CA

Attendees of the Gala dinner received a welcoming message from H.E. Ambassador László Szabó from Washington, D.C. and were greeted by a welcome speech by the Honorable Tamás Széles, Consul General of Hungary in Los Angeles.  The keynote speaker, Vena Ricketts, M.D.,  Professor Emeritus, UCLA School of Medicine, highlighted medical and other charity work in the US, her native Jamaica, and worldwide. During the evening, audience members heard from Professor Béla Bognár by video about his commitment to supporting the next generation of young Hungarian scholars.

In the video message, Dr. Bognár thanked Dr. Susan Pekarovics and all the organizers for the award, and for making the event possible, recalling that it was his grandmother who inspired him to establish the scholarship fund.

Dr. Bognár, who fought in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, had to leave his homeland.  He was able to say goodbye to family and friends, including his grandmother who lived with his family. When departing, she said a few farewell words, which guided his life to this day: “Remember my little Béla what I repeated to you throughout these years: what you do for others, gives meaning to your life”.  “And this is why I am here today, and hopefully I will continue”, said Dr. Bognár.

The Ambassadors of the Future was founded by Adam Beres, along with his parents, Zsuzsa Pekarovics, MD, and his father Attila Beres, Ph.D., and many other community members. The organization is committed to two goals; to raise funds for the international education of intellectually gifted but financially challenged students and for socioeconomically disadvantaged children coping with diabetes and obesity.