NEW YORK, Feb 23, 2011/ —- Mary J. Blige will be presented with the New York Junior League (NYJL)’s Award for Leadership and Excellence at the organization’s 59th Annual Winter Ball, to be held at the historic Plaza Hotel on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
The evening also honors the NYJL’s Outstanding Sustainers Deane Allen Gilliam and Diann Rohde and Outstanding Volunteers Shari Elizabeth Aser, Desiree Fish, Suzanne Manning, Laura Matiz and Caroline Tyburczy. These notable women stand for their dedication to making the New York Junior League a better organization and for leading by example.
The Award for Leadership and Excellence honors Ms. Blige’s incredible dedication to the empowerment of young women and her inspiring work as the co-founder of The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), which she founded with music and branding impresario Steve Stoute in 2007.
FFAWN (www.ffawn.org) is an organization dedicated to helping women overcome their personal difficulties and reach their full potential in life. FFAWN assists women through a range of programs that encourage women to realize their dreams and pursue their individual goals. Ms. Blige is a nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, record producer and actress who has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide since her career began in 1992.
More than 500 guests are expected to attend the black tie gala, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by an awards presentation, seated dinner, live auction and dancing. Guests will delight in an evening experiencing the magic of the magnificent setting and enjoying dinner and dancing in the famous Plaza Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. The evening will be capped with a sumptuous buffet of winter-themed desserts and cocktails.
All proceeds from Winter Ball ticket sales will support the New York Junior League’s charitable activities, including its community outreach initiatives.
To ensure consistency and a concentrated level of direct service, the NYJL’s community programs are focused on four areas: Outreach Education, Youth Education, Youth Mentoring and Adult Mentoring. The community programs are staffed with NYJL volunteers who work in partnership with nonprofit, public and community-based organizations. Community partners include the American Cancer Society, Bayview Correctional Facility, Children’s Aid Society, New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Domestic & Other Violence Emergencies program, New York Foundling Hospital, and Mentoring U.S.A.
All of the NYJL’s community programs are created in consultation with an advisory board of community leaders. Proceeds also support a NYJL signature project, the Playground Improvement Project, which since 1992 has revamped and rehabilitated neglected playgrounds and parks throughout New York City. Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has been selected as the 2011 PIP project, and during five weekends in April and May, an estimated 10,000 volunteer hours by NYJL and community volunteers will be spent renovating the park’s playgrounds, athletic courts and gardens.
The NYJL recognizes its many generous sponsors, who include Van Cleef & Arpels and Moet Hennessy. Auction items include a Prada bag from the Spring 2011 Collection, a diamond pendant designed by Patricia Daughn, an exclusive golf outing for four at one of Trump Golf’s world-renowned courses, a seven-night stay at the Leading Hotels of the World’s Royal Myconian or Myconia Imperial Hotel in Greece, and a two-night stay for two at the Montage Deer Valley Hotel and Resort.
The NYJL’s 59th annual Winter Ball, “Elegance Throughout Time,” promises to be a truly unforgettable experience for all guests. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nyjl.org.
“ELEGANCE THROUGHOUT TIME” HOURS AND TICKETING INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, March 5, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m. (Tickets for Dancing Only begin at 9:45 p.m.)
Location: The Plaza Hotel, Grand Ballroom
Central Park South and Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
Ticket Prices: Corporate Tables of Ten—$25,000, $15,000, and $10,000
Individual Table of Ten—$7,500
Harriman Circle Benefactor Ticket (Preferred Seating)—$1,100
Friend Ticket (Reserved Seating)—$450
Dancing Only (Drinks, Dessert and Dancing)—$200
Reservations: Tickets are limited.
For information, please visit www.nyjl.org/winterball
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