U.S. Dream Academy Announces 15th Annual 'Power of a Dream' Gala on May 3, 2016 in Washington, D.C.
Gala Hosted by Actors Laz Alonso and Tamara Tunie
Honorees to Include Rep. Bobby Scott (VA.), Google's Jaime Casap and Criminal Justice Advocate, Jarrett M. Adams
WASHINGTON, April 25, 2016 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The U.S Dream Academy envisions a night of wonders as they anticipate their 15th Annual "Power of A Dream" Gala, this year themed, "Growing Dreams," presented by title sponsor, Amway. The annual fundraiser will take place on Tuesday May 3, 2016 (Red Carpet / VIP Reception 5:30PM, Dinner 6:45PM, Attire; Black Tie Optional) at the Washington Renaissance Hotel, located at 999 Ninth Street NW, Washington, D.C, 20001. The gala will benefit nationally recognized after-school programs for children of incarcerated parents and those falling behind in school. Each year, the Power of a Dream Gala attracts the support of celebrities, political leaders, corporate executives, community activists, VIPs and influencers to invest and raise awareness to further help U.S. Dream Academy programs thrive in making a difference in the lives of youth in need.
This year's gala will be co-hosted by actress Tamara Tunie, from the NBC's drama Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit), and actor, Laz Alonso, co-star of NBC's new "Mysteries of Laura" with Debra Messing. The 2016 honorees are passionate advocates of criminal justice reform, education, politics, and working to make a difference in children and families lives. Award recipients include; Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA.) who will receive the Legacy Award for his tireless work for children and families and criminal justice reform, Jaime Casap, Global Education Evangelist at Google will receive the President's Award for his innovative work in education. Jarrett M. Adams, an advocate for criminal justice reform will receive the MLK Jr. Award. He was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault at age 17, sentenced to 28 years in a maximum security prison, fought for his own justice, and was released after serving 10 years and is now a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Co-Founder of Life After Justice, and a re-entry specialist.
Musical Entertainment for the evening will include The Takoma Academy Chorale, and a special performance from U. S. Dream Academy founder, Grammy nominee, Wintley Phipps and The Dream Kids from Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.
For six years, Amway has served as the Presenting Sponsor of the gala. Additional sponsors that have contributed to make this year's fundraiser successful include: Southwest Airlines, MarkerMan, Britt Worldwide, IBOAI, QTS, Mr. George Johnson, Protiviti, Matthew Family Trust, Adventist Health Systems and Lois and Leroy Peters.
U.S. Dream Academy
The U.S. Dream Academy, founded in 1998, is a national after-school program that aims to break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. The mission of the U.S. Dream Academy is to empower children who are at risk of future incarceration to maximize their potential by providing them with academic, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology. The vision is to create an army of young men and women with positive dreams for their lives, equipped with the tools to make those dreams a reality with the core values of Faith, Freedom, Inspiration and Integrity.
The U.S. Dream Academy focuses on impacting the lives of children with incarcerated parents and children falling behind in school. The program, founded by renowned gospel singer Wintley Phipps, is currently operating in 7 cities nationwide including; Baltimore, MD., Houston, TX., Indianapolis, IN., Orlando, FL., Philadelphia, PA., Salt Lake City, UT., and Washington, D.C. Its research based initiatives challenge over 700 young people daily and engage them in active learning through one-to-one mentoring, strong academics, and technology driven activities and curricula.
