PICTURES

A new organization called; The Ghanaian professional Group based in Chicago recently held its first annual dinner as a kickoff to GhanaFest 2006 which occurred at the Hyatt Hotel, downtown Chicago. It was also an opportunity for two prominent people to be honored for their immense contribution to the Ghanaian community;

Dr. Samuel Akainyah is a man of vision, who runs an art gallery in the city of Chicago, which is receiving great reviews and is very popular. A very pleasant, kind personality who is always willing to give back to the community with no hesitation. He is a great role model to all and really deserved to be honored. As his contribution to GPG, he has offered his gallery to the organization to hold its meetings free of charge.

Nana Akwasi Addai – Former Asantefuohene of Chicago was also honored for his immense contribution to the Ghanaian community in Chicago. Nana Addai also runs an orphanage in Ghana, www. www.biohkidsvillage.org.

Among the noted personalities in attendance was; Ms Sylvia Baffour, Motivational Speaker. Music was provided by the Millenium Soundz.

INFORMATION ON GHANAIAN PROFESSIONAL GROUP

The Ghanaian professional Group, NFP is a non-for-profit organization formed by a group of Ghanaian professionals in the Chicago Metropolitan area in May, 2006 with the intent to educate and offer their services to Ghanaians who cannot afford those professional services. It launched a web site; www.ghanaianprofessionals.org in May 2006. The purposes, for which the corporation is organized, are as follows:

a)Educating and providing supplies to members of the Ghanaian and non – Ghanaian communities in the United States on topics of health, accounting, legal, computer, business, communications, transportation, housing, arts, employment and music at no cost to them;

(b)Disseminating information to the Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian communities, that is vital to improving their understanding of the related topics;

(c)Raise funds from the public and all other sources available to help support education;

(d)Organize annual Ghanaian professional conferences to be held at locations throughout the United States (and elsewhere) which may include speaker presentations, panel discussions, workshops, demonstrations, and the exhibition of published material;

(e)To receive, maintain, and accept as assets of the corporation, any property, whether real, personal, or mixed, by way of gift, bequest, devise, or purchase from any person, firm, trust, or corporation, to be held, administered, and disposed of exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and in accordance with and pursuant to the provisions of the articles of incorporation; but no gift, bequest, devise, or purchase of any such property shall be received or made and accepted if it is conditioned or limited in such manner as shall require the disposition of income or principal to any organization other than a "charitable organization" or for purposes other than "charitable purposes" which would jeopardize the status of the corporation as an entity exempt from the federal income tax pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended; and,

(f) To exclusively promote and carry on any other charitable or educational purposes and activities for which corporations may be organized and operated under the relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and under the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986.

The organization plans to organize its event annually. Executive positions have not been filled yet but the organization hopes to fill those positions temporarily before a formal meeting to elect officers to those positions.