Belafonte Household Basis Units Inaugural NYC Gala Benefitting Underserved Communities

The Belafonte Household Basis has introduced its inaugural gala, supporting the inspiration’s multi-generational philanthropic mission to create entry, alternatives and progressive applications for traditionally underserved youth, adults and communities. The occasion is ready for Oct. 24 at New York Metropolis’s Sony Corridor, that includes performances, tributes, awards and a reside public sale.

Established in 2020 by the members of the family of Harry Belafonte, BFF is led by co-founders David and Malena Belafonte and their kids Sarafina and Amadeus Belafonte. Harry Belafonte, who died earlier this yr, impressed his household to decide to lifelong work towards social justice; the inspiration honors his spirit and the work of others who devoted themselves to the betterment of the human situation.

“Having labored greater than 40 years with and alongside my father, I’ve lengthy appreciated the large duty that my household has accepted, to make use of our expertise, power and affect to pursue social change,” David Belafonte mentioned in an announcement. “When Malena and I married and had kids, we realized that our kids would share in that duty. That sense of shared duty and our household’s longstanding dedication to social justice fueled the founding of BFF, which makes use of an progressive multi-generational strategy to the duties at hand, incorporating classes from the generations earlier than us, our present experiences, wants and insights, whereas actually listening to the youngest of generations — that’s what units us aside. It’s what drives our board, supporters and my household.”

“I personally witnessed the cultural affect that my father had all over the world, and the way he used that affect to handle the necessity for social change. Impressed by what I noticed — by way of each the ever-evolving challenges confronted by too many and the way these challenges may very well be addressed — my household established BFF,” he continued. “My father’s current passing was a reminder that the long-standing want for social change stubbornly persists. We’re assured that BFF’s lasting legacy can be one which displays how my household and our supporters impressed this technology and future ones to roll up their sleeves to convey optimistic lasting modifications to underserved communities.”

The Belafonte Household Basis focuses on alternative, schooling, and well being, humanity and well-being. The latter is at present addressed by the inspiration’s Shiny Highway Farms program, an city, vertical farming initiative which provides organically and domestically grown greens to underserved communities and meals deserts. One other program, Shiny Highway Martial Arts, acknowledges the mentorship and energy of martial arts disciplines which improves lives by means of self-control, self-discovery and self-respect, supplied to qualifying at-risk youth in partnership with main academies and instructors.

BFF additionally gives full educational scholarships for deserving college students to attend secondary or college educations. Awards are primarily based on academic advantage and financial want, with a give attention to scholarships for college students of colour. One of many applications gives full scholarships for college students in Haiti, inclusive of transportation, books and meals. Winners of the scholarships can be introduced on the gala.