Each year we hold a very special event,
the Victor Obadia Humanitarian Trophy, in memory of the Comité Tricolore’s first president.
The award is presented to an outstanding individual to honor their achievements, benevolent actions and principles of generosity and compassion.
This year’s recipient was Marianne Hart, who for more than 25 years has devoted a significant part of her life to humanitarian and volunteer work.
The 5th VOHT Award Ceremony was held at the French Embassy in Washington, DC, last Monday, December 8th, in the presence of our Consul General Caroline Monvoisin, the Solidarity Committee members of the CT, and family and friends of both Victor Obadia and Marianne Hart.
Based in Bucharest between 1998 and 2006, Marianne Hart contributed to the development of Second Chance Romania, a new NGO dedicated to revitalizing the disadvantaged rural community of Berceni.
Marianne moved to Washington, D.C. in 2011. She is involved in local associations such as the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), Friendship Place and she created the Charity Club within Washington Accueil.
In 2015, with the help of Marie Yasmine Auclert, a former recipient of the VOHT, she founded "Le Piano Bar pour Une Belle Cause", joined by pianist Laurent Cardot. For ten years, this Piano-Bar has raised funds for benevolent associations.
Special Tribute to the Friends of the Comité Tricolore
The VOHT ceremony included a special moment to show our gratitude to all of Comité Tricolore’s donors and supporters.
These supporters follow Victor Obadia’s principles of generosity. Without them, we could not fulfill our mission to help people in need in our area. They have become part of our very select group of Friends of the Comité Tricolore.
The trophy incorporates Victor’s initials: the shape of the cup is a V and the handle is an O. Sharing a cup of coffee is a symbol of conviviality and Victor worked in the coffee industry. The trophy was especially designed by J-P Krukowicz and manufactured by LR-Paris.
You can see pictures of the ceremony on our website photo album, where you can also see the many other events the CT organizes all through the year. You might even recognize yourself as you go along!
