Jackie Robinson Foundation Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, hosted by legendary entertainer, Bill Cosby.
For the 37th year, the star-studded Gala paid tribute to those who embody the humanitarian ideals of Jackie Robinson and who helped raise money for the Foundation’s premiere minority scholarship and mentoring program. This 2010-2011 academic year, JRF provided generous financial aid and program support to 220 Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars representing 31 states and the District of Columbia and enrolled in 92 different colleges and universities across the country.
This year’s honorees included Sean “Diddy” Combs (Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bad Boy Entertainment Group), Ingrid Saunders Jones (Senior Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company), and Joseph R. Perella (Founding Partner, Chairman and CEO ofPerella Weinberg Partners) for their charitable and philanthropic contributions and innovation in the music, fashion and financial arenas, respectively .
Mayor Bloomberg made a speech and contributing to the unforgettable evening, Russell Simmons (Founder, Def Jam Records), Ray McGuire (Head of Global Investment Banking, Citi) and Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts III (Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church) introduced the nominees. Music artist Chrisette Michele wowed the crowd with a special performance as well.