NEW YORK — $300,000 was raised at the recent UNCF “A Mind Is . . .” Hamptons Summer Benefit benefiting deserving New York area students. More than 400 guests attended the Aug. 5-6 benefit weekend events, which were held at the private residences of Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, and Lyn and E.T. Williams Jr., Frank Baker, co-founder and managing partner of Siris Capital Group, LLC and Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, president of Clark Atlanta University, were honored with the Keepers of the Flame award for being champions of diversity and education.
Joe Madison, SiriusXM Urban View radio talk show host, was master of ceremonies. Jane Carter, Errol Taylor, Desiree Watson, William Pickens III, Jean Shafiroff and Paula Taylor were co-chairs for the events on Saturday and Sunday. Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF president and CEO, delivered remarks on UNCF’s impact in the state of New York and the importance of community support.
“Where else can you come together to send kids to college, but in such elegant surroundings in the midst of a Hamptons summer,” said Lomax. “With the support of the community, whom we call our army of advocates, UNCF has invested almost $2 million in college scholarships for New York students, millions of dollars in cash support and technical assistance for our 37 member HBCUs and the almost 1,300 New York students who attend them.”
In its 72-year history, UNCF has raised more than $4.5 billion to support minority students’ quest for better futures. Events such as these are made possible by the admirable support of community and corporate partners such as this year’s “A Mind Is . . .” Hamptons Summer Benefit platinum sponsors, Siris Capital Group, LLC and Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. Additional sponsors were Loida Lewis; the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation; Sidley Austin LLP; Greenberg Traurig LLP; RBC Capital Markets; Wellness Interactive; Adam and Stacy Coyle; Christina Lewis Halpern; Moët Hennessy USA; Notorious Pink Rosé; Jean, Martin, Jacqueline and Elizabeth Shafiroff; Sankofa Global Project; Errol and Paula Taylor; Zelnick Media Capital; Stifel; and Jeff and Caren Hendren.
Media partners were SiriusXM, World Bride Magazine, The Independent and Dee & Co. and MLM Presents.
Guests in attendance included such notables as Don Lemon, Earl Graves, Flo Anthony, Elsie McCabe Thompson and Dale Mason Cochran.
The electrifying weekend included a VIP brunch, silent auction, entertainment by Kym Hampton and Flow and a student testimonial from UNCF Gates Millennium Scholar, Rahim Mahmoud (Rutgers University, 2018) and Clark Atlanta Alumnus of the Class of 2007, Kevin Brown, CEO of Legacy Thinking Labs and founder of Debt Free College Academy.