Croatian American Family Hosts A Night Of A Thousand Dinners -- 
Benefit To Assist Global Humanitarian Mine Action 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
(November 24, 2001 - North Potomac, MD) - On November 30th, 2001 Montgomery 
County area residents in Maryland will join Sir Paul McCartney and fiancé 
Heather Mills, Her Majesty Queen Noor, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, 
and the Canadian Governor General, H.E. Adrienne Clarkson in attending 
dinners held around the world to raise awareness and resources for the 
international landmine crisis. 
 
The recent fighting in Afghanistan has brought renewed attention to this 
pressing global health, environmental and developmental issue. Tens of 
thousands of fleeing refugees and Allied troops face what many ordinary 
Afghan people have faced for decades - the fear of encountering one of the 
millions of landmines or unexploded ordnances in the ground. Every year 
approximately 18,000 people are killed or maimed by landmines and, one-third 
are children. More than 80 million landmines 
are buried in more than 80 countries that were once ravaged by war. 
 
The Rukavina family in North Potomac, Maryland, working with the National 
Federation of Croatian Americans, decided to take action to support this 
humanitarian effort. The Maryland dinner featuring Croatian foods will be one 
of 
some one thousand being hosted around the world on or around November 30th as 
part of the Night of a Thousand Dinners. This international initiative 
coordinated by the Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLF) and the United Nations 
Association of the USA will raise funds for Adopt-A-Minefield and other 
organizations that are all addressing different aspects of the global 
landmine crisis. All funds raised at the North Potomac dinner will be 
earmarked for the Adopt-A-Minefeld organization and de-mining operations in 
Croatia and will qualify for U.S. government matching funds. 
  
Heather Mills, honorary chairperson of Adopt-A-Minefield, who is to marry the 
former Beatle next year, said: “I normally cook dinner at home and Paul makes 
the breakfast, but on this occasion he’ll be helping me and we’ll share the 
cooking.” McCartney has also donated signed lithographs of his painting 
Amnesty to be given as prizes to three lucky hosts. The Rukavina dinner event 
will feature several Croatian dinner entrees, supplied by the Embassy of the 
Republic of Croatia. 
 
“Night of a Thousand Dinners is a way for every person to contribute to the 
global mine clearance effort while being among friends and family in their 
own homes,” said Jason Rukavina, a senior at Wootton High School. “Every 
person’s contribution makes an important difference to the people who live in 
fear of the threat of landmines every day.” 
 
“I am excited to play a part in creating a safer, mine-free world and to help 
raise money for de-mining in Croatia,” said Jason Rukavina. “Night of a 
Thousand Dinners enables everyone to make a meaningful difference with this 
worldwide problem." 
 
For further information, please contact Jason Rukavina at 
E-mail address: ruk21@aol.com 
distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com