U.S. Dream Academy to Honor Surgeon General Dr. Benjamin, Robert Townsend at The Power of a Dream Gala on May 25
The Gala Benefits At Risk Youth. Grammy Award Winning Icon Patti Labelle to Perform. "Power of A Dream" Gala To Be Held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC.
- Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV (1888PressRelease) May 20, 2011 - The U.S. Dream Academy is celebrating its' 10th "Power of a Dream" Gala on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 in Washington, DC to benefit their nationally recognized after-school programs for children at risk. The event will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel located at 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20024. Each year the Power of a Dream Gala attracts the support of Hollywood celebrities, political figures, corporate executives, community leaders, and VIPs to invest and raise awareness to further help U.S. Dream Academy programs succeed in making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth and children of incarcerated parents.
Honorees for this year's event, who are also making a difference in young people's lives with their philanthropic efforts include: Vice Admiral Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. As America's Doctor, she provides the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. Sheila C. Johnson, a successful entrepreneur and impassioned philanthropist and Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television); Robert Townsend, award winning actor, director, producer and visionary (The Discarded Boys, The Five Heartbeats, Parenthood, Natalie Cole Story, The Robert Townsend Foundation) and Delbert W. Baker (founding Board Member of the US Dream Academy, Seventh-day Adventist minister, author, educator, and administrator and a vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists).
Special guest performances by; US Dream Academy DREAMKids, the highly acclaimed Accapella Chorus group "Committed", Grammy nominee and founder of U.S. Dream Academy, Wintley Phipps and the legendary Grammy Award winning Patti LaBelle. Comedian Meshelle Foreman Shields and News anchor Brenda Wood will host the event.
Co-Chairs for the event will be NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green and his wife Jewell Green and Donna Bozarth, Chair of the Miss America Outstanding Teen Competition. VIP guests will include; Members of Congress, Sport legends, Corporate Executives and community leaders. Sponsors of the Gala include Amway Global (Presenting Sponsor),Insurance Advantage, Ray & Pamela Hill, George Johnson, USA Funds, MarkerNet, Inc., Southwest Airlines, Adventist Health System, American Express, Florida Hospital for
Children, IBOAI, Kalorama Partners, Quality Tech LP, Systems Integration & Management, Inc., Team Scotti, Alpha Technologies, ANCILE Solutions, Centric TV, Bill & Janet Cohen, State Farm, William Nelsen, Jim and Linda Payne, David Williams and Wachovia.
The mission of the U.S. Dream Academy is to empower children who are at risk of future incarceration to maximize their potential by providing them with academic, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology.
About the U.S. Dream Academy
The U.S. Dream Academy focuses on impacting the lives of children with incarcerated parents and children falling behind in school. The program, founded by renowned gospel singer Wintley Phipps, is currently operating in 10 cities nationwide. Its research-based initiatives challenge nearly 800 young people daily and engage them in active learning through one-to-one mentoring, strong academics, and technology-driven activities and curricula. Visit our website at www.usdreamacademy.org.
In Washington, D.C., the Dream Academy Learning Center is co-located at the Ferebee Hope Elementary School where 60 students have access to after-school academic support, character building and dream building activities along with weekly mentoring by positive adult volunteers.
Important Statistics
• One in 40 children in the United States has an incarcerated parent.
• More than 10 million children in the U.S. have had a parent in prison.
• Each year about 400,000 mothers and fathers finish serving prison or jail sentences, and return home.
Media Contact: Priscilla Clarke & Associates, Tel. (202)723-2200, pclarkerpr ( @ ) aol dot com
Event Information: Angela Hunt Bonitto, Director of Development, U.S. Dream Academy,
Tel. (410)772-7143, abonitto ( @ ) U dot S.dreamacademy.org
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