Over 100 people, businessmen, expats and community members of southern villages participated Wednesday evening, October 9 , in a fundraising event "Rustic Feast ", organized by PACT Foundation at Manuc’s Inn. They celebrated together the coming of autumn, this year’s rich crops and growing funds to develop the southern Romanian village.

"The event was an opportunity for our guests to rediscover - or learn for the first time - the charm of the traditional Romanian village. We encouraged them to wear a traditional Romanian element and to get lost in the beautiful stories of the projects that we support through our main program, PACT pentru COMUNITATE. Ladies that weave, sew, and are laying the foundations for new tailor shops in Cocorastii Mislii and Găujani , craftsmen who weave wiscker from Facaeni, Mr. Ionel Cococi that molds Vădastra clay following a technique originated in the Neolithic, a master potter from Călimăneşti , wood carvers from Spanţov , a talented lady who makes folk dolls from Corbeni and young performers of traditional music from Cândeşti, all beneficiaries of our program, have joined us to offer gifts for the auction and to celebrate in the Romanian way with the other guests who came to support them. The funds we collected, the harvest of good deeds, as we call it will be a starting point for new projects that we will support through the PACT pentru COMUNITATE program, " said Ruxandra Sasu, Executive Director of PACT Foundation.

The guests were greeted at the entrance of the old inn by crafts and traditional arts, music and dance typical of the Romanian South, but also by an exhibition of traditional art reinterpreted in modern ways by the group 4Art and a collage of folk riddles from Printoteca.

Many friends of the PACT Foundation have also attended the event: people and initiatives that are successfully using traditional elements in authentic or reinterpreted ways . As a consequence, at the auction people bid for clothes inspired by traditional themes from The Clothing Workshop (Atelierul de Haine) and Mândra Chic, paintings by Alina Manole and FurgaMurga and accessories form Iutta and Estuar. La Blouse Roumaine offered an ie specific to the Mehedinti area , Delicateria Florala brought a beautiful floral arrangement and Portul Cultural Cetate auctioned a whole day trip to the famous Danube port . In addition, guests competed in the auction for dinner at Lacrimi si Sfiniti (Tears and Saints), tickets for the theater company Daya’s play " Șapte blesteme – cerute, făcute și legate " and for the ring created by Mihaela Ivana. The final tombola raised new emotions for the lucky winners of the book piles from Publica, the ingenious wall sticker from Cai verzi pe pereţi, a cup painted with traditional motifs from Una ca Luna , three vouchers for ceramic objects from Made by You, a painting inspired by the village life by Ioana Nedelescu and a bottle of premium wine from LacertA , which was tasted with delight throughout the evening by all of the guests.

The 6000 RON that were raised during this harvest of good deeds represent a first part of a lengthy fundraising campaign conducted by the Foundation for future projects that will contribute to the sustainable development of the communities in the South of Romania. Additional donations can be made in PACT Foundation’s account : RO23BPOS70606197144RON06 opened at BancPost, Uiversitate, CUI / CIF : 18583918.

Partners of the Rustic Feast: CEO Clubs, LacertA, Hanul lui Manuc, Iutta, La Blouse Roumaine, Atelierul de Haine, Mihaela Ivana, FurgaMurga, 4Art, Port Cetate, Printoteca, Cai verzi pe pereti, Delicateria Florală, Una ca Luna, Made by You, Mândra Chic, Publica, Estuar Concept Store, Lacrimi și Sfinți, Compania de teatru Daya, Image Matters.

Media partners: Romania-Insider, City Compass, The Bucharest Lounge, CSR Media, Orasul Meu, România Pozitivă.

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