On June 13, the YMCA of Greater New York hosted its annual Heroes of New York Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, raising more than $1.4 million to benefit the YMCA’s community services and programming that serve more than 300,000 people across New York City. Broadway icon Billy Porter and Hip-Hop legend Grandmaster Flash performed at the Gala, and Saturday Night Live’s Punkie Johnson was the emcee in front of 475 attendees.
This year’s Gala honorees were New York Life, Deloitte and John Starks, celebrated for their ongoing support of the YMCA’s efforts to open doors to education and career development resources for young people across New York City. The Y also paid special tribute to Jack and Valerie Rowe on the 10th anniversary of the Rowe Scholars Program, the Y’s flagship initiative for college access and career development for New York City high school students.
Since 1993, New York Life has awarded over $5.3 million in grants to the YMCA, including funding to expand afterschool and summer programming across the city. Deloitte and the YMCA share a 30-year relationship and recently awarded the YMCA with a $300,000 grant to support the Rowe Scholars program. Knicks Legend John Starks has been at the helm of the partnership between the New York Knicks and YMCA as they’ve worked to provide fun, safe programming to New York City kids and teens on Saturday nights, through the YMCA’s Saturday Night Lights Program over the past three years.
And up at Bally’s Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, The Bronx Community Foundation hosted its inaugural Gala and Asset Awards in recognition of the institution’s role as the Bronx’s first community foundation and in support of its mission to eradicate inequity in the New York City borough. Convening a host of notables, community leaders and advocates across industries for an unforgettable evening honoring the Bronx’s biggest “assets.”
The evening kicked off with a festive and chic cocktail reception hour with a musical set from Latin band Uptown Royalty followed by the dinner and awards ceremony hosted by renowned Emmy-Winning journalist, best-selling author, & co-host of “The View” Sunny Hostin. In her welcome remarks, Dr. Meisha Porter, President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation, highlighted the significant work that the Foundation has done in the community since its inception and her vision for the organization’s future.
The Bronx Community Foundation also honored an amazing group of people who are either from or who support the Bronx in some capacity and who have chartered pathways in life leading to indelible impacts on society. This inaugural class of honorees included: chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors Leon Cooperman; Emmy-Winning Poet and Actor and Executive Director of the Nuyorican Poets Café NYC Caridad De La Luz a.k.a LA BRUJA; First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; and legendary DJ and hip hop trailblazer Derrick “D-Nice” Jones.
The ceremony closed out with an electric performance by the dynamic Rakiem Walker Project and the afterparty featured a special DJ set by the legendary DJ Pete Rock.
