"I am the Future" Gala
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We look forward to seeing you at the Gala! The RSVP deadline has passed. To find out if tickets are still available, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 617-233-0338. If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation, please click here to make a donation.
| You are cordially invited to the 2014 "I am the Future!" BELL Gala Tuesday, October 21, 2014. 6:00 pm Reception | 7:00 pm Dinner and Program Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA Business Attire | Valet or self park provided at the hotel. RSVP by Monday, October 6th. |
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BELL works with children from low-income communities who have the highest need for academic support. Because we believe in the tremendous potential for all children to excel, we recognize them as scholars.
At this year's "I am the Future" Gala, we are thrilled to be honoring Governor Deval L. Patrick, First Lady Diane B. Patrick and Debra Smith Knez.
We will be featuring guest speakers, Hill Harper, author, activist and actor and Charles Ogletree, Professor of Harvard Law School and BELL Board Chair Emeritus and Liz Walker will be serving as our Emcee for the evening.
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Gala 2014 Host Committee |
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Champion Sponsors Debra Smith Knez Richard A. & Susan F. Smith, Amy S. & John G. Berylson, Robert & Dana Smith Scott & Laurene Sperling Mentor Sponsors Randi & Joel Cutler Paul & Sandy Edgerley Tim & Lynne Palmer Maurice & Luly Samuels Advocate Sponsors Geraldiñe Acuna-Sunshine & Gabriel Sunshine Anonymous Bulger Partners District Management Council Ernst & Young Steven & Judith Kaye Sherry & Alan Leventhal Mazzella Family Charitable Trust Susan and Paul Meister State Street Corporation Thermo Fisher Scientific Warburg Pincus Believer Sponsors Lisette Cooper and Athena Capital Advisors Deloitte John Donovan & Donna Hale EMC² Corporation David & Nina Fialkow and Paul Reville & Julie Joyal Franco Finstad & Paula Arrojo Goulston & Storrs Gene & Susan Guill Horizon Beverage Justin & Lee Sadrian Doug & Andi Shaw Lauren Smith & James Boll |
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Honorees: |
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The Governor and First Lady have worked tirelessly to advance educational standards for all citizens of Massachusetts, particularly for children in under-resourced urban schools and communities. |
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Governor Deval L. Patrick was first elected in 2006 on a platform of hope and change. Governor Patrick has funded public education at the highest levels in the history of the Commonwealth and his Administration’s school reform initiatives earned Massachusetts the top spot in the national Race to the Top competition.
The First Lady Diane B. Patrick joined the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston in 1995. As a partner, she has been able to combine her passion for education and her background in labor and employment law. As a former public school teacher, she knows first-hand that education is essential in workforce development, civic engagement, and building communities.
For over 10 years, Debra Smith Knez has played a leadership role in expanding BELL's capacity to reach more scholars and deepen its impact. As a trustee of the Knez Family Charitable Foundation and The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, she has generously invested in providing opportunities for economically disadvantaged children and youth.|
Featured Speakers: |
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Hill Harper, Author, Activist, Actor
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Charles Ogletree, Professor, Harvard Law School, BELL Board Chair Emeritus
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Emcee: |
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Liz Walker, minister, TV journalist, humanitarian
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Hill Harper pursued his education with the same intensity he infuses into his character on "CSI", graduating Magna Cum Laude from Brown University and earning graduate degrees in Law and Public Administration from Harvard. He knew early on that education would be the key to his personal success, realizing that to truly thrive one must also help others accomplish their goals. Despite being told repeatedly that "young black people don't read," Harper wrote Letters to a Young Brother, a book that aimed to uplift and provide practical guidance to young African Americans. The book became a bestseller.
Professor Ogletree is a professor of law at Harvard Law School and founder of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice. A highly-esteemed legal scholar, civil rights lawyer, and leader, Professor Ogletree is deeply committed to serving public schools and institutes of higher education.
Rev. Walker co-founded My Sister’s Keeper, a small Boston based humanitarian group that worked to construct a girls’ school in South Sudan. Recently installed as Pastor at Roxbury Presbyterian Church, Rev. Walker is the chair of the RPC Social Impact Center Board and a core strategy team member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization. She is the founder and principal of The Walker Group Communications Specialists and the producer and host of the Better Living Health Series on WCVB TV. She has served on several boards including for the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund and for the Tufts Health Foundation.