What a great night! The Miss Utah USA Gala benefiting the Mondo Art Project, in partnership with Youthlinc, was a great success! Thanks to all the Miss Utah contestants and their families for helping raise the money needed to support our efforts with the Hser Ner Moo Refugee Center in Salt Lake City, and for all the art supplies donated for our international trips in 2011. The goal is was to raise funds to be employed locally to enrich afterschool programs at Hser Ner Moo Center in South Salt Lake, adding an additional afternoon each week of art instruction and expression for teen refugees through the Youthlinc Real Life in SLC mentoring program. We are so thrilled that we will be able to see this happen, thanks to the supporters of this event. Also, with all the art supplies donated at last night's event, we will be able to facilitate art projects and exchanges with our MAP trips through Youthlinc to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, and Kenya next year. Special thanks to the organizers of the event - Laura Chukanov, Jessica Whitehead, and the current Miss Utah, Katya Feinstein, as well as all the others that made this event possible (donors, sponsors, volunteers). You are amazing - thank you!! Stay tuned for an announcement of when we will be officially kicking off the new programming at the Hser Ner Moo Refugee Center, scheduled for this December. Best of luck to all the contestants this weekend with the competition! MONDO ART PROJECT (MAP) MISSION STATEMENT The Mondo Art Project was created to connect children all over the world through the universal language of art.  Our goal is to give children from all countries, cultures, and backgrounds a voice – a chance to tell their story and communicate with other children through a medium that transcends language barriers. By partnering with schools, humanitarian groups and other non-profit organizations, we are able to reach out to children, organize art projects, and exchange experiences through artwork created -  connecting children all over the world.