(DETROIT, MI) — Lebanese-American Fox News contributor Walid Phares was awarded the ‘Pillar of Baalbeck’ award on May 29 by the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce during its Spring Hafli Grande Banquet at Pi Banquet Hall in Southfield, Mich.
Phares has been a regular guest on Fox News since 2007 as a analyst on terrorism and Middle East policy. He has also testified before committees of the U.S. Congress, European Parliament, and the United Nations Security Council.
300 guests attended the banquet, which also honored singer Odette Kaddo, who died in 1997, according to the Chamber.
“The importance of understanding our history is essential in order to shape our future as it is well documented that Lebanese Americans are teeming with extraordinary potential,” said John Akouri, president of the Chamber.
Notable guests included members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Chicago-based hair transplant surgeon Dr. William Yates, The Bachelorette television star Nick Sutter, FBI Detroit Special Agent-in-Charge Paul Abbate, Consul of Mexico in Detroit Juan Manuel Solana Morales, and member delegations from the United Cedars Foundation, Jordanian American Association, and Future Movement of Michigan.
The event also hosted Lebanese-American author Maureen Abood, who signed copies of her newly-released cookbook, Rose Water and Orange Blossoms, which reveals recipes of her family’s Lebanese favorites.
Fox 2 News anchor Roop Raj served as Master of Ceremonies.
Akouri thanked the Chamber’s sponsors and members for supporting the event and “paving the way” for the next generation of Lebanese-Americans. He also introduced Kamal Shouhayib and Fadi Sankari, who are looking to raise $3 million to install water filtration systems in 1,200 Lebanese schools over the next three years.
The Chamber has previously hosted many other newsmakers, including MSNBC personality Raghida Dergham, CNN personality Octavia Nasr, filmmaker Nadine Labaki, Central Bank of Lebanon vice governor Raed Charafeddine, and Beirut Marathon Association founder May El Khalil.
For more information about the Chamber’s banquet, read more at this link.
VIEW photos of the banquet:
