Scenes From Last Year's Festival
ELEVENTH ANNUAL LEBANESE FESTIVAL 2009
St. John Maron Church
2040 Wehrle Drive
Williamsville, NY
Friday, July 24, 2009 5 PM - 11 PM
Saturday, July 25, 2009 2 PM - 11 PM
Sunday, July 26, 2009 12 PM - 6 PM

Dear parishioners and friends of St. John Maron:

Our Eleventh Annual Festival is scheduled for July 24-26. I pray that, with your support and cooperation, it will be another successful event. As we introduce new items every year, we hope to keep everyone interested.

Articles and brochures about the Maronite Tradition will be displayed in Church. The book that I have translated, entitled The Virgin Mary in the Maronite Church, is available and would make a nice gift. It reveals the face of the Blessed Mother as seen through the lens of the Catholic Church and more specifically through the Maronite spirituality, tradition and way of life.

Our Souvenir Festival Sponsor Booklet was a big hit in 2008; we intend to have it again this year. Not only was it a nice way to acknowledge our parishioners and sponsors, but also a good vehicle for advertisement and public relations. A contract ad form and a letter explaining the purpose of the booklet were mailed to you recently. If you wish to advertise in it, please fill out the ad form and return it before the 30th of June.

The Gift Shop, the Children’s Attractions and the Lebanese Café never cease to be creative and are quite interesting. They provide a good sense of entertainment and camaraderie. Because the Sajj is popular, we are going to have two this year: one for the bread, the other for the open-faced zaatar pizza. The Lebanese Beer & Wine made a superb impression last year. We ran out of the Lebanese Beer even before the Saturday evening rush. If you are interested in a case or more, please call the rectory to pre-order.

Raffle prizes continue to evolve and grow. More than ever before local businesses are donating to our raffle, which makes it more appealing. We are aiming at record sales this year. If you can help sell $5.00 booklets in your neighborhood, call the rectory or the Raffle Committee. Your help in selling raffle tickets would be greatly appreciated. You, as parishioners, are the most effective selling and marketing vehicles. To help publicize the Festival, please make as many flyers as you can, use them at your stores and businesses and share them with your neighbors and local markets.

A festival flyer, a $20.00 Raffle Booklet, a return-address envelope and a venue’s list are enclosed for your convenience. Please return the raffle tickets as soon as you possibly can. The Festival requires volunteers. We depend on you for help. Locate a venue on the list and contact a chairperson for the schedule.

Through the grace of God, the protection of his Blessed Mother and the intercession of St. John Maron, our parish is steadily growing. Being a teacher myself, I dream of having an archetype educational facility at Saint John Maron, whereby we can provide parishioners, not only with Sunday school, but also with Arabic classes and Faith Formation for all ages. A more adequate teaching-learning accommodation is truly needed. Therefore, our next project is the Education Center. The Festival revenues along with all parish fundraisings will be earmarked to expand the Education Center. Together, we have accomplished many monumental projects. I am quite certain that, through your continued support and generosity, we will be able to make this dream a reality.

Looking forward to having the Eleventh Festival another chapter of our success, I remain
Devotedly yours in the Lord,

Rev. Georges Y. El-Khalli, Pastor

 

 

Click Here to view & print the flyer for this year's festival

 

 

2009 RAFFLE
Raffle Prizes, Eleventh Annual Lebanese Festival
Drawing Sunday July 26th 2009

Item Donated By Ticket Name
Variety Case of Steak Southtown Gourmet Food (Rimon Moawad) 10452 Jean Maurice Yazbeck
All-in-One Fax/Printer Raymond Khoury, Pride Office Products 04479 Debbie Tartick
Callaway full golf set w/putter, golf bag & travel golf bag worth $1,300 Mr. & Mrs. Tony Zinaty 17288 Julie
Tailor made golf set w/putter, golf bag & travel golf bag worth $1,300 William Mattar & Mark Mattar 04414 Andrea Keeton
Golf Certificate 18 holes
w/cart for 2
Steve Carlson, Rothland Golf Course 21648 George Leon
Golf Certificate 18 holes
w/cart for 2
Steve Carlson, Rothland Golf Course 23180 Mary Lou Badawy
Golf Certificate 18 holes
w/cart for 2
Steve Carlson, Rothland Golf Course 00643 Fouad Khoury
Golf Certificate 18 holes
w/cart for 2
Steve Carlson, Rothland Golf Course 14485 Anthony Habib
Golf Certificate Town of Tonawanda Youth & Recreation Department 25077 Shady
Medical Basket Dr. & Mrs. George Haddad 00142 Larson
Medical Basket Dr. & Mrs. George Haddad 13035 R. Eliah
Beauty Basket Swan Hair Studio (Mr. & Mrs. Gabe Zinaty) 16840 Dick Attea
Beauty Basket Fringed New York (Ms. Karen Torres) 01461 Mary Whelan
Beauty Basket Hair I Am (Mr. & Mrs. Joe Mazraani) 02966 Ranine Saliba
Beauty Basket Pierre Studio (Pierre Elkhoury) 15750 Anne Marie Attea
Wine Basket Tonawanda Medical Practice (Dr. & Mrs. Abialmouna) 04993 George Atallah
Wine Basket Jane Mozer 16975 Bernie Bartella
Wine & Cheese Basket Drs. Samir & Gihan Riad, Better Smile of WNY 12475 M/M Newcomb
Restaurant Certificate Pizza Plant $50 Delft Printing (Mr. & Mrs. Kamal Jowdy) 24903 Cristin Babcock
Restaurant Certificate Pizza Plant $50 Delft Printing (Mr. & Mrs. Kamal Jowdy) 17421 Ron Mackenburg
Restaurant Certificate Pizza Plant $50 Delft Printing (Mr. & Mrs. Kamal Jowdy) 25134 Harriett Attea
Restaurant Certificate Pizza Plant $50 Delft Printing (Mr. & Mrs. Kamal Jowdy) 21604 Janice Swinnich
Restaurant Certificate Pizza Plant $50 Delft Printing (Mr. & Mrs. Kamal Jowdy) 20582 Mary Ann
Restaurant Certificate $20 Grapevine Restaurant (Mr & Mrs. Thomas Pane) 08765 Mrs. Eleanor Moses
Restaurant Certificate $20 Grapevine Restaurant (Mr & Mrs. Thomas Pane) 24825 George Khoury
Restaurant Certificate $20 Grapevine Restaurant (Mr & Mrs. Thomas Pane) 06304 Norm Mattar
Restaurant Certificate $20 Grapevine Restaurant (Mr & Mrs. Thomas Pane) 11466 Anna Furstace
Restaurant Certificate $20 Grapevine Restaurant (Mr & Mrs. Thomas Pane) 00186 James Williams
Restaurant Certificate $25 Pita Gourmet Mr. & Mrs. Bechara Mahfouz 10131 Laila Hazzan
Restaurant Certificate $25 Pita Gourmet Mr. & Mrs. Bechara Mahfouz 24229 Courtney O.Hagen
Byblos Restaurant Certificate $50 The Abialmouna Family 09646 Justin McFarlane
Restaurant Certificate $50 Olive Garden Mr. & Mrs. Walid Daham 24996 Beth Pinto
Restaurant Certificate $50 Applebee's Mr. & Mrs. Walid Daham 13624 Norm Liberatore
Restaurant Certificate $15 Banchetti by Rizzo’s Restaurant 08163 Fran Mitrey
Restaurant Certificate Sunday Brunch for Two Banchetti by Rizzo’s Restaurant 13544 Dolores Khoury
Restaurant Certificate Sunday Brunch for Two Banchetti by Rizzo’s Restaurant 20500 Norm Maciorowski
Restaurant Certificate $15 Gallery Grill (Paddock Golf Dome) 16310 Mike Poporgki
Restaurant Certificate $50 Food For Life Gourmet & Catering 12325 Peter Mowad
Restaurant Certificate $40 Protocol Restaurant 24540 Maya ElHawa

At this year's festival, be sure to visit our gift shop. You'll find a wide variety of Lebanese treasures:
  • Foods, Coffees, Sweet Delights
  • T-Shirts
  • Cookbooks
  • Brassware, Coffee-Sets
  • Kitchen Gadgets
  • Aprons
  • Mugs
  • CD's & Tapes of Popular Lebanese Artists
  • Religious Articles
  • And, MUCH MORE...Come and VISIT US!

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