New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence Announces 2017 Gala Honorees

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence has announced its honorees for the 2017 Foundation Awards Gala on Wednesday, May 10

The 2017 Honorees include Gloria Borger NRHS ’70, CNN’s Chief Political Analyst who will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award; Malcolm D. Lee (Writer Director, Producer of films including the forthcoming Girls Trip, as well as The Best Man and Barbershop: The Next Cut) and Camille Banks-Lee (Clinic Director of the Guidance Center of Westchester) who will receive the Kohlberg Citizenship Award; and Robert and Donna Young of development firm The Young Companies, who will be honored with the Corporate Leadership Award.

The Master of Ceremonies is Host of NY1’s “Inside City Hall,” Errol Lewis NRHS ‘80, who is also a New York Daily News Columnist and Contributor to CNN.

The gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Fountainhead, 55 Quaker Ridge Rd.

In addition to the honorees, the Fund will also recognize a number of New Rochelle High School students for their achievements. The students, selected by the City School District of New Rochelle, include Mary Tomei (Arts & Culture Award), Nicholas Townley (David A. Garfinkel Citizenship Award), Jordan Wallace (Eric Tutera Sports Leadership Award), and Wendy Yu (Technology Award).

The Fund for Educational Excellence partners with the City School District of New Rochelle and engages the broader New Rochelle community to develop, fund and implement high-quality educational and enrichment programming that enhances the school experience and helps students thrive and succeed along their educational journey, according to organizers.

Among the program supported by the fund are subsidized SAT and ACT prep classes; a Dual Enrollment Program that enables students with financial need to pay for and receive college credits for courses they take during high school; and Poetry and Arts Out Loud which offer students the chance to show off their creative side on a big stage. The Fund also administers the Museum of Arts & Culture which features artwork by local and regional artists as well as programs including Anne Frank: A History for Today.

Susan S. Weisman, the former director of the Fund, will be presented with the Chairman’s Award for Meritorious Service. Weisman guided the organization for almost 10 years, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the New Rochelle Fund’s efforts and grow important programming for New Rochelle students.

To purchase tickets and for more information on the Fund for Excellence, please visit nredfund.org.

Photo caption: Gloria Borger. Photo credit: Courtesy.