NAACP To Host 104th Freedom Fund Gala In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Oranges and Maplewood Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will host its 104th Annual Freedom Fund Gala on Sunday, April 30, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Atrium Country Club at 609 Eagle Rock Avenue in West Orange.

The Oranges and Maplewood Unit of the NAACP represents Essex County towns including Belleville, Bloomfield, The Oranges, Maplewood, Millburn, Livingston, Nutley and Verona.

This year’s gala will “speak to the extraordinary, 104-year legacy of service and achievement of the oldest branch in the Garden State and fifth oldest in the nation,” a NAACP news release stated.

The keynote speaker is Ryan Haygood, president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

The 2017 honorees include:

• Judge Theodore Stephens, Essex County Surrogate
• Gail Velox, President, Orange Education Foundation
• Maurice and Daneen Cooper of The Jaguar Track Team
• Elmwood United Presbyterian Church in partnership with Temple B’nai Abraham of Livingston
• Sarah Jones, Manager of Government Affairs, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ
• Kevin West, Superintendent, East Orange School District

According to the NAACP, proceeds from the event will benefit its on-going initiatives and programs. Information about sponsorship opportunities for the corporate and business community and reservations for individuals can be obtained by contacting the gala committee at 973-675-5325, or by email at omfreedomfund@gmail.com.

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File Photo: Flickr Commons, Stuart Seeger