Doing Good - Samir Shah and Graham

It's a bit too easy to sit back, that is why I have a smile on my face when I see a press release with Samir Shah and Graham.  Talk is cheap, and once again we see that in the sphere of social justice and awareness, cheap is the last thing that Samir Shah could be accused of.

Here's the scoop from the source -

GRAHAM at Pre-Oscars dinner to support

David O. Russell and the Ghetto Film School

 

At a Pre-Oscars dinner honoring Academy Award-nominated writer-director, David O. Russell, GRAHAM presented a Chronofighter Target watch. The timepiece will be auctioned at a fundraiser for the Ghetto Film School taking place later this year. 

Courtesy of Graham

Held at Mastro’s Steakhouse on February 23, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California, the evening was hosted by Seth Semilof of Haute Living alongside Dr. Gabriel Chiu and Christine Chiu. Dinner guests included Jamie Foxx, Dave Brown, Pras, Tyrese Gibson, Nick Jonas, and Barbara Broccoli among others.  Representing the Ghetto Film School were its LA Executive Director Stosh Mintek, head instructor Alvy Johnson and former student Chris Butler. 

 

David Owen Russell, known for Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013) and Joy (2015), has been a longtime board member of the Ghetto Film School. Founded in New York in 2000, GFS has come to be regarded as one of the premier programs devoted to cultivating a new generation of storytellers from low-income, mainly minority neighborhoods. Based in the South Bronx, New York and MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, 650 students and alumni are annually engaged in the organization’s programming, always free of charge. Supporting art and cultural initiatives, GRAHAM was delighted to present O’Russell with a Chronofighter Target watch. The benefits of auctions will be forwarded to the Ghetto Film School.

 

Doing Good - Graham's Samir Shah

People.  Ultimately, it really comes down to people.

Courtesy of Graham

I have known Samir Shah for a little less than five years now.  I can say that he is hard working - a tireless promoter and ambassador for Graham in North America.  But more than that, he is a genuinely nice person who never hesitates to do something for someone else.

On September 16th he was there to lend his support for Covenant House California at a gala event in Los Angeles (technically West Hollywood).  

Courtesy of Graham

I have cribbed this info. from a friend who summed it up much better than I could:

Graham USA's Managing Director, Samir Shah, with Covenant House California board member, Michael Kidder, who beat all the other bidders to win a Chronofighter 1695 at the 2015 All Star Mixology event in Los Angeles, presented by The Hollywood Reporter and ABC-7. Proceeds from the auction went to raise awareness and funds for the 7,000 homeless youth served annually by Covenant House California.

To quote that sage confectioner Willie Wonka -

So shines a good deed in a weary world

Very well done Samir - the watch business needs more people like you.

For those of you who would like to support a good cause, here is the link for Covenant House California -

www.covenanthouse.org

Getting Personal

Writing a blog is a funny thing. At a lunch on Sunday a group of "alleged experts" sat around the table discussing why we do what we do. Most of us happily ensconced in a relationship, to the best of our knowledge, no blatant signs of mental illness… and most of us do this for the princely sum of $0 a day. In short, we do it because we love it.

And it is people like Lisa Delane of Tigerlily Skye PR (handling PR for a few brands but most pertinent to me Graham and Arnold & Son), and Samir Shah who represents Graham and Arnold & Son in North America -

As you can imagine, it is not actually all that easy to ask people for money ; )  But in both of these instances I was asked by people (Lisa & Samir) if they could participate in the Tempus Fugit Initiative to support the International Anti Poaching Foundation, and moreover in Lisa's case I have received unbelievable support in spreading the word.  Thank you!

Watches are fun, don't get me wrong.  But behind (and in front) of all the watches we love are people - sometimes some pretty fantastic ones!

It has nearly been four years of writing this little "bloggy-wog" and I have met some pretty great people, and that experience has far exceeded the amazing watches, pens and accessories I have seen.  They are wonderful things, but ultimately that is all they are - things, not people.

And after all, it should be about people.