On June 10, the Albanian-American community came together in New York City for a special evening in support of OriginAL and Albanian diaspora youth. Hosted by Fadil Berisha, Avni Mustafaj, and Mark Kosmo, the event brought together supporters, alumni, and friends of the program for a night filled with stories, gratitude, and shared commitment to the next generation.
Through the stories of OriginAL alumni, guests had the chance to better understand the impact of the program. OriginAL is not simply a visit to our homelands. For many young people, it is a meaningful journey of identity, belonging, and connection to Albanian roots.
The New York City event marked an important achievement for OriginAL. During the evening, we raised $96,570 in support of the program. Following the completion of the June cohort, OriginAL now looks ahead to the upcoming cohorts in August and November, and to other young people still waiting for this opportunity.
For the 2026 program overall, we have now raised $131,000 toward our goal of $200,000, which will help support at least 100 participants.
Join Us in Reaching the 2026 Goal
We are deeply grateful to the key donors whose leadership made this evening possible and set a strong example of investing in our shared future.
Legacy Donors
$10,000 * 10 years / +4 scholarships * 10
Viosa and Richard Lukaj, Lukaj Family Foundation
Mark Kosmo
Miranda and Ardi Shita, Shita Family Fund
Elvin Guri
Generational Donors
$10,000 / +4 scholarships
Eglantina Kica, Kica Kraut Foundation
Mira and Dorjan Puka
Leadership Donors
$5,000 / +2 scholarships
Stefan and Liz Kochi
Guljed and Eni Birçe
Danny Blloshmi
Event Supporters
$2,500 / 1 scholarship
DK Construction One Corp.
Albanian American Muslim Community Center Waterbury
Florent Ilazi
Massachusetts Albanian American Society, MAASBESA
Albanians for America
We also thank the many additional supporters who contributed to the evening and helped move this mission forward.
Thank you for being part of this Global Albanian Network.
