The Atlanta Marriott Marquis Atrium Ballroom will be the place to be on December 21 at 6 p.m. as the 36th Annual UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball takes center stage. R & B recording artist Charlie Wilson, known to rock the house, will be the entertainment as luminaries look to raise more than $1 million for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This elegant gala hosted by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax was founded in 1983 by Mrs. Billye Aaron and Ambassador Andrew Young and is the premier holiday season social soiree in Atlanta. CoChairs for the 2019 Ball are Helen Smith Price, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Vice President, Global Community Affairs and Eduardo Martinez, President, The UPS Foundation and UPS Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.
Music Mogul, record producer and songwriter Jermaine Dupri, who was raised in Atlanta and who has written and produced songs for Mariah Carey, Monica, Da Brat, Jay-Z, Nas, Ludacris, and others, will receive the M.A.S.K.E.D Award (Mankind Assisting Students Kindle Educational Dreams) at the gala. Mr. Dupri donated $50K at last year’s ball where a record-breaking $1.3 Million was raised for HBCU students. “This year’s annual gala is the culminating event celebrating UNCF’s 75th Anniversary. As we celebrate hosting the Ball for 36 years in Atlanta, we know we could not make it successful without the major contributions of our diverse Atlanta community and its outstanding corporations” said Justine Boyd, regional development director, UNCF.
“With our Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as host, and the commitment of corporate sponsors and volunteers, we continue to raise the bar to support deserving students and our 37 UNCF member institutions, four of which are in Atlanta.” From its beginning 36 years ago until now, educating students has always been at the forefront of the event’s mission. With the success of the UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball, thousands of students have a brighter future because of the support they have received. In the past few years, more than 800 students attending UNCF member schools were either able to attend college and/or continue their college education without the interruption of financial challenges.
Ball highlights include a performance by Charlie Wilson, VIP Masked Award reception, silent and live auctions, elegant dining, the parade of dignitaries, dancing and dinner entertainment by the Clark Atlanta University Jazz Band. A host of celebrities, dignitaries and influencers are expected to attend including member institution presidents representing Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spelman and The Interdenominational Theological Center. The spectacular event is made possible by marquis sponsors Mr. Hank and Mrs. Billye Aaron and presenting sponsors The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, UPS and The Atlanta Marriott Marquis. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.uncf.org/atlantammb or call 404 302-8623.
About UNCF
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37-member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
