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REDWOOD CITY, CA (November 17, 2008) – PARSA Community Foundation raised funds for the preservation and advancement of Iranian arts and culture, development of leaders through education and encouragement of civic participation at its second annual gala fundraiser on November 15, 2008. The event was held at The Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco and honored contributions by leaders of the global Iranian community. The “Volunteerism and Action Award” was awarded to Ashraf Ghandehari Bahadorzadeh of Kahrizak Charitable Foundation, and the “Philanthropist of the Year Award” was presented to Paul Merage, Founder and President of the Merage Foundations and Chairman of Falcon Investment Management.

The Persian garden-themed event was attended by luminaries such as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Academy Award-winning Producer Justine Shapiro and Youtube Founder Chad Hurley. The list of honorary co-chairs was just as impressive, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Diane Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Mike Honda, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, to name only a few.