Earlier this week, Pencils of Promise hosted its annual “Dreams Fulfilled” gala, a black-tie event held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. CEO Kelly Scales hosted the evening, which featured a star-studded lineup. The gala celebrated the organization’s commitment to providing quality education in the Global South for over 16 years.
Attendees included donors, celebrities, and supporters who gathered to recognize PoP’s efforts. The evening began with Scales’ inspiring message, “Imagine a World Where Dreams Come True.” This was followed by a toast featuring Ja Rule‘s Amber & Opal Honey Botanical Whiskey, co-founded by Kelvin Barton and Sandy Sandiford, which set an uplifting tone for the event. The PoP Dream Maker Awards honored individuals and organizations creating sustainable educational change.
This year’s Dream Makers included Jim Kwik, the New York Times best-selling author and founder of Kwik Learning and LifeStraw, a water filtration company committed to providing safe drinking water to 300 PoP schools. The Philanthropist Award went to Mona Patel, founder of Couture Cause, who gave a moving speech about her education journey in India and PoP’s initiative, A Girl’s Promise.
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Other honorees included actor Brian Austin Green and dancer Sharna Burgess, who received the Humanitarian Award for their commitment to A Student’s Promise. Cordae was honored with the Audacious Award for his advocacy for social change. Supporters of the organization included Ja Rule, VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk, Miss New York 2023 Rachelle Di Stasio, supermodel Brandi Quinones, designer Nicole Miller, Lance Bass, and Sunny Hostin.
An auction hosted by “The Fundraising Guy” Harry Santa Olalla featured prizes such as tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto, a vacation in Mykonos, and a Napa Valley wine experience.