Riverside Hawks Program to Host Annual Gala at the Mandarin Oriental on December 13

Save the Date

The nonprofit Riverside Hawks Program has announced that it will hold this year's annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle in Manhattan, on Dec. 13. CBS-2 award-winning anchor/reporter Maurice DuBois will return to host the event.

The 61-year-old, nationally recognized organization provides children 5-18 years-of-age, life changing, character building opportunities by improving their academic and career prospects, using basketball as a motivating vehicle. The Riverside Hawks Athletic Program is a year-round initiative, servicing more than 600boys and girls who live in the New York Metropolitan area. The program creates a foundational support system for young people, by providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in the real world, no matter what career options they decide to pursue.

The program has built a tremendous reputation of academic success. In the past few years, the organization has been able to boast that 100% of high school student participants in Riverside Hawks' athletic programs, have graduated and gone on to top colleges and universities across the country, many of them on full scholarships. The organization's growing alumni roster includes hundreds of professional basketball players and notable members of the NBA. Among the most recognizable of these names are Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, Eric Paschal, Chris Mullin, Tiny Archibald, Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson, Ed Pinckney, Metta World Peace, Elton Brand, Malik Sealy, and the list goes on.

While fundraising continues to be an ongoing challenge, even as we emerge from the pandemic lockdown and back to in-person gathering, it is a central part of the work that enables the great results the organization has produced.  Without the generosity of our partners and donors, it would not be possible to enrich and give possibility to the lives of these young people, who come into the program. The Annual Gala, our biggest fundraising initiative, serves several key functions - it celebrates the achievements of our young participants and the milestone accomplishments of staff working at every level to help support their dreams. The gala enables our supporters to see the exact value of their financial support and allows us to honor the importance of donors, partners, and supporters.  

In the past, the organization's honorees have included such distinguished names as - former Lt. Governor David Patterson; JP Morgan's Rodney M. Miller; former NBA player/ESPN sportscaster Len Elmore; ESPN commentator/First Take co-host Stephen A. Smith; Citi Group's Mark Mason; award-winning producer/director Crystal McCrary; Derek Ferguson former COO of The Robin Hood Foundation; Bank of America's Senior Vice President, Maurice Coleman; and BET CEO & President Scott Mills.

Visit the Riverside Hawks for ongoing information about the program and for announcements and news about the upcoming Gala - how to purchase tickets and more. Go to 
https://riversidehastg.wpengine.com/riverside-gala-2022

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