LAHC members pose for a photo.

DETROIT — On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) of the Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC) celebrated its third annual gala at Byblos Banquet Hall in Dearborn.

The YLC-LAHC honored three Lebanese Americans for their contributions to the community. 

 “We wanted to honor young self-made leaders in the community and highlight their contributions,” said Hussein Hachem, the founder and chairman of the YLC-LAHC. 

Ali Hammoud, a criminal defense attorney, received the YLC-LAHC Young Professional Leadership Award for Community Service. Hammoud is a senior partner with At Law Group, PLLC, based in Dearborn. He holds a juris doctor with a concentration in litigation from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Hammoud has served as a member of the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee’s advisory board and is currently the co-chairman of BRIDGES and president of the Arab American Political Action Committee.

Charlie Katato, a Lebanese American author and journalist, received the YLC-LAHC Emerging Young Leader Award. Katato is one of the nation’s youngest contracted professional speakers. He is the founder and managing editor of LebaneseExaminer.com, a 24-hour online news site. Katato is the recipient of the prestigious Call to Service Award from President Obama, which recognizes at least 4,000 hours of community service work. 

He has been honored with several other awards, including the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, the Optimist International Oratorical Award, the Voices of My Generation Media Appreciation Award and a special proclamation from the state of Michigan for his service work.  His book, “Sacrifice: Reporting in Kabul”, received the 2012 Bookfield Creative Minds Emerging Author Award. 

Ali Saad received the “Call to Service” Award from the YLC-LAHC. Saad received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He started his business, General Fuels Company, when he was only 16-years-old. In 2008 he received a $40,000 scholarship from Monster.com to attend any college. 

In 2012, the General Fuels Company was ranked in the top 100 companies in the United States by the Empact 100, which recognizes companies founded and operated by entrepreneurs under the age of 30. He traveled to the White House to receive an award for the honor.  

In 2013 the Empact 100 organization recognized him for the same reason. His company was also honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of the top 10 companies in the United States started by a young entrepreneur. 

The YLC-LAHC has become a well-known youth group in the community over the last few years. 

Through the implementation of a multitude of events and programs, such as roundtable discussions, hunger relief efforts, cultural celebrations, college book sales, diversity workshops, and disaster relief efforts to name a few, the YLC has taken great strides in serving the community and promoting the educational, social and cultural affairs of the community. 

Khoder Farhat, a student at Henry Ford Community College, also spoke at the event. Farhat was born blind and emigrated to the United States in 2009. He has spoken at several community events and inspired people by sharing his story. He has received several awards and recognitions for his academic success. He has given back to the community by volunteering at the Detroit Medical Center and other places for the blind. He has also worked for the non-profit organization iChallenged. 

A representative from Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalon’s office also made remarks at the event.