American Citizens Abroad Celebrates 30th Anniversary in Geneva, Switzerland

In October 2008, American Citizens Abroad (ACA) held a highly successful and entertaining gala dinner in Geneva, Switzerland, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the organization. As a surprise, the evening was also a tribute to Andy Sundberg, founder of ACA and infatigable supporter of the rights of US citizens living overseas over the past thirty years.

Geneva, Switzerland (PRWEB) November 2, 2008 -- On Saturday, October 4th, 2008, friends and supporters of American Citizens Abroad (ACA) held a joyful and well-attended gala dinner at the Hotel Richemond in Geneva, Switzerland to celebrate the founding of the organization thirty years ago.

ACA is a non-profit, non-partisan, volunteer association dedicated to representing the interests of American citizens living abroad. ACA deals with issues such as voting procedures and rights, taxation, citizenship, banking, Medicare, Social Security and representation in Congress for US citizens living overseas.

During the evening the Executive Committee of ACA honored Andy Sundberg, founder, initiator, and source of inspiration for the many accomplishments of ACA, by presenting him with the Eugene Abrams Award. This award was created by ACA in the 1990s to honor US citizens living overseas who make outstanding contributions to the well-being of the overseas American community. The award is named after the late Gene Abrams, the much-appreciated Executive Director of ACA in the early 1990s.

The evening was full of surprises for Sundberg, including the visit of Patric Hale, a close friend from way back who came from the United States just for the gala. Hale, a long-time ACA volunteer on the tax issue and an accomplished entertainer, animated the evening by crooning a wonderful selection of popular and classical music. Sundberg was alternately touched and embarrassed as attendees praised his efforts on behalf of US citizens all over the world during the past thirty years.

More than 60 people attended the celebration, coming not only from Switzerland, but also from the United States, France, Holland and Qatar. Representatives of sister associations of US citizens overseas who work closely with American Citizens Abroad attended, both to honor ACA and to salute Sundberg's accomplishments. These included Lucy Laederich and Tom Rose who both came from Paris, and who represented, respectively, FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas) and AARO (Association of Americans Resident Overseas). Other much-appreciated attendees included Roberta Enschede, a long-time resident of Holland, who has worked tirelessly for many years on behalf of US citizens living abroad, and Bea Etienne, daughter of Congressman Robert McClory, who introduced the first ACA-inspired law in Congress in 1978. This new law made it easier for children born to US citizens living overseas to obtain American citizenship.

Jackie Bugnion, active member of the ACA Executive Committee and specialist on tax and banking issues, read aloud a congratulatory letter addressed to ACA for its 30th anniversary from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, founder of the Americans Abroad Caucus in Congress.

In its 30 years of existence, ACA has, among many things, proposed, helped coordinate and attended the annual Overseas Americans Week in Washington, D.C. Participants come from major overseas American organizations throughout Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

For more information on issues affecting US citizens abroad such as citizenship, representation in Congress, Medicare, Social Security, taxation or voting, please visit the website of American Citizens Abroad at www.aca.ch.

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