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National Urban League 52nd Annual Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner Raised $1.8 Million; The Verizon Foundation Donates $1.1 Million To The League’s Commitment To Equal Opportunity

*The National Urban League held its 52nd annual Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 12, at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York. The event raised $1.8 million and was attended by 800 black tie guests.

The Verizon Foundation added to the evening’s coffers with the hefty donation of $1.1 million to aid the League develop afterschool programs in connection with Verizon's Thinkfinity Afterschool Program.

“We focus on the issues of education and literacy, and safety and health. Our goal is to help people achieve the skills they need to live, learn and work in the 21st Century,” stated Patrick R. Gaston, president, The Verizon Foundation.

"For today's students to gain the valuable educational base they need to succeed, learning cannot end when the school day ends. Every moment presents a learning opportunity, and after-school programs must capitalize on their time with students to engage, educate and inspire them to excel," Gaston added.

In addition to raising much needed funds to support its mission, the League’s Annual Equal Opportunity Awards Dinner rewards individuals and corporations that demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunity and exhibit leadership for the cause of equal rights.

“The individuals and organizations honored at the Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner set the example for all of us in their commitment to the greater community,” said National Urban League president and CEO, Marc H. Morial. “This year’s recipients display exceptional leadership encouraging minority empowerment in all aspects of society.”

Morial presented Time Warner’s chairman of the board, and President-Elect Barack Obama’s Transition Economic Advisory Board appointee, Richard “Dick” Parsons, with its coveted leadership award.

John Hofmeister, chairman of the board of the National Urban League and former president of Shell Oil Company, and Cathy Hughes, founder and chairperson of the board of Radio One, presented Sherman Lewis and Sherman Lewis, III, founders of The Lewis Group Properties, Ltd., one of the largest minority-owned businesses in greater Houston, with the entrepreneurship award for their extraordinary commitment and dedication to economic empowerment.

Cassye Cook, president of the National Urban League’s Young Professionals, presented PepsiCo with the corporate leadership award for their generous support of the National Urban League health platform promoting health and wellness preventing and delaying the onset of chronic disease. The award was accepted by Maurice Cox, vice president of corporate development and diversity at Pepsi Cola.

The National Urban League inducted its 2008 “Million and Five Million Dollar Hall of Fame Class” recognizing organizations that have contributed $1 million or more to advance the work of the League. This year’s prestigious $1 Million Hall of Fame award was presented to Pfizer and Verizon and the esteemed $5 Million Hall of Fame award was presented to Citi.

The 2008 National Urban League’s Equal Opportunity Award Dinner was chaired by Tom Hyde, executive vice president of legal, compliance, ethics and corporate secretary for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the honorable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York. Maurice DuBois, co-anchor at CBS 2 News This Morning served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.

In 1956, the National Urban League held its first Equal Opportunity Day dinner, giving awards to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary James P. Mitchell and Jacob S. Potofsky, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Since then, Muhammad Ali, Hillary Rodham and William Jefferson Clinton, Iman, Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey and Spike Lee, among others, have been honorees.

National Urban League was established in 1910 making it the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. Today, the National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the non-partisan efforts of its local affiliates. There are over 100 local affiliates of the National Urban League located in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services to more than two million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and research.

The mission of The Verizon Foundation is to improve education, literacy, family safety and healthcare by supporting Verizon's commitment to deliver technology that touches life. The Foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on three overarching areas: Education, Safety and Health, and Volunteerism, where they believe their technology can make the greatest impact.

The Foundation funds programs that address the heart of social issues such as literacy, technology education and domestic violence. The Foundation builds partnerships to replicate its most successful programs in communities across the country. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than $400 million in the United States and around the world to help others.

In 2007, the Foundation awarded more than $69.4 million in grants to charitable and nonprofit agencies serving the needs of diverse communities. Verizon employees donated more than 485,000 hours in 2007 as part of Verizon volunteers, one of the largest corporate volunteer incentive programs in the United States. (Photos by Terrence Jennings)