Annual Gala Dinner
In 2005, the Coalition began hosting an annual Gala Dinner to formally honor outstanding Hungarian Americans and friends of Hungary, as well as to expand community outreach and raise funds for the Elemér and Éva Kiss Scholarship Fund, the Bognár Family Hungarian Scholarship Fund, which HAC began administering in 2014, and the John N. Lauer Leadership Training Program (LTP).
In an effort to strengthen the remarkable achievement of some member organizations, the Coalition has also made contributions from the Gala Dinner proceeds to their programs.
The Gala Dinners have been held at such elegant venues as the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Decatur House, the Cosmos Club and the House of Sweden, all in Washington, D.C.
List of Gala Dinner Honorees
2005-2023
Honorees: Dr. E. Sylvester Vizi and the Béla Bartók Hungarian School of Boston (Boskola)
Two inaugural youth awards: John N. Lauer Leadership Training Program (LTP) Alumni Award to Luca Mórocz and Community Youth Leadership Award to Dániel Barabási, Boston, MA
Honorary Chairman: Dr. Charles Simonyi
Co-chairs: Ambassador György Habsburg, Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2023
30th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
Honorary Chairman: Dr. Charles Simonyi
Co-chairs: Ambassador György Habsburg, Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer
Held at the Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. on October 26, 2022
30th Anniversary Virtual Gala and Concert
Honorees: The Coalition’s founding individual and organizational members
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Performances by opera singer Levente Molnár and the Béla Bartók Choir and Chamber Orchestra.
Held virtually on October 7, 2021
Virtual Mikulas Gala
Honoree: Dr. Katalin Kádár Lynn, historian and founder of Helena History Press
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Ms. Csilla Grauzer, Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer
Performance by Kaláka
Held virtually on December 4, 2020
Honoree: Ambassador Colleen Bell
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Ambassador György Habsburg, Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 2, 2019
Honoree: Dr. Jeanette Gecsy Grasselli Brown and The Ferenc Rákóczi II. Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, headed by Dr. Ildiko Orosz
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Ambassador György Habsburg, Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2018
Honoree: Ambassador April H. Foley, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary between 2006 and 2009 and Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Hungary Initiatives Foundation (HIF)
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Governor George Pataki, Mrs. Edith K. Lauer, Mr. John N. Lauer
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 19, 2017
Honoree: 2016 Honoree: János Martonyi, Hungary’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Governor George Pataki, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Ambassador Richard Swett, Ambassador George H. Walker III
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 3, 2016
Honoree: J. Joe Adorjan, Honorary Consul General of Missouri and founder of the Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership (HMEP)
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Ambassador George Herbert Walker III, Mr. Michael F. Neidorff
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on September 29, 2015
Honoree: Congressman Tom Lantos, Bishop László Tőkés and the Hungarian Communion of Friends (Magyar Baráti Közösség)
Gala Event began with Lyric Soprano Andrea Rost Concert at the Warner Theatre, Washington D.C.
Honorary Chairman: H.E. János Áder, President of Hungary
Co-chairs: Governor George E. Pataki, Ambassador George Herbert Walker III
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2014
Honoree: John N. Lauer and the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society
Co-chairs: Ambassador April H. Foley, Gov. George E. Pataki, Ambassador George H. Walker III, under the patronage of Dr. Tibor Navracsics, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 8, 2013
Honoree: U.S. Ambassador Nancy Brinker and the Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris
Co-chairs: Ambassador George H. Walker III, Ambassador April Foley, Michael F. Neidorff
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 9, 2012
Honoree: Dr. János Horváth, Doyen of the Hungarian Parliament, and the William Penn Association
Co-chairs: Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Pál Schmitt, President of Hungary and Dr. Tibor Navracsics, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary; Coalition Gala Chair, Governor George E. Pataki
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on May 11, 2011
Honoree: Governor George Pataki
Co-chairs: Ambassador April Foley, Michael F. Neidorff, Ambassador George H. Walker III, former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead
Held at the House of Sweden, Washington, D.C. on April 22, 2010
Honoree: John C. Whitehead, former Deputy Secretary of State
Co-chairs: General Colin L. Powell, Governor George Pataki, U.S. Ambassador George H. Walker III
Held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. on April 16, 2009
Honoree: Dr. August J. Molnár, President of the American Hungarian Foundation
Co-chairs: William Penn Association, John N. and Edith K. Lauer
Honorary Chairman of Event: Governor George E. Pataki
Held at the Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. on April 18, 2008
Honoree: Ambassador George H. Walker III
Co-chairs: Michael Neidorff, Julius Joe Adorjan, Zsolt Rumy
Held at the Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. on May 4, 2007
Honoree: Dr. Charles Simonyi, software pioneer, philanthropist, future space explorer
Co-chairs: Ambassador-at-large to the European Union and President of the Hungarian Red Cross, György von Habsburg, Mr. John N. Lauer, Chairman of Diebold, Inc., and Mrs. Edith K. Lauer, Chair Emerita of the Coalition
Held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. on May 4, 2006
Honoree: Dr. Otto von Habsburg, European statesman, one of the initial architects of the European Unio
Co-chairs: Anikó Gaál Schott and Philip W. Pillsbury, Jr.
Held at the Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2005
Highlights of Gala Dinners
HAC Gala retrospective video
