AKRON, Ohio — A group gathered at Himelright Lodge to celebrate World Refugee Day at an event hosted by the International Institute of Akron and Summit Metro Parks.

What You Need To Know

  • World Refugee Day is June 20

  • The International Institute of Akron hosted a celebration that focuses on the global refugee crisis

  • The event took place at Himelright Lodge

Guests enjoyed food from NoHi cafe, a rotating kitchen that features a different restaurant each week.

Visitors also watched performances from Nepali and Burmese entertainers, like Hsa Win.

Black Beanz, a group of teen dancers who are refugees from Tanzania and Uganda, also took the stage.

One dancer, Yoshua Fazili, said he’s escaping a civil war back home and is in the United States seeking better education opportunities. He said he’s grateful to dance with other refugees, despite coming from different countries.

“Like Martin [Kwitonda]. He shares the same experiences as me," Fazili said. "So, yeah, it's like I’ve never been in Uganda, but like when I ask him something, he'll probably relate to what I did in Tanzania."