(L-R) New York City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer and Riis Settlement Executive Director Christopher Hanway. Photo: Tina Buckman
On November 12, 2015, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement hosted its third ever gala to celebrate another successful year of service and to honor four longtime supporters for their continuous efforts on behalf of the organization and its participants. Fittingly, the event, held at the Museum of the City of New York, coincided with the wonderful exhibition Jacob A. Riis: Revealing New York’s Other Half – a retrospective highlighting the remarkable achievements of our namesake who used photojournalism to expose the horrific conditions of tenement living for millions of immigrant New Yorkers at the turn of the twentieth century.
Hosted by the dynamic Queens reporter Ruschell Boone of NY1 News, the gala recognized the following four honorees: Jimmy Van Bramer, New York City Council Majority Leader; Lena Townsend, Executive Director of the Robert Bowne Foundation and Anne Lawrence, Program Director of the Robert Bowne Foundation; and the TransCanada Corporation.
Honoree Anne Lawrence of The Robert Bowne Foundation. Photo: Tina Buckman
As guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres provided by Long Island City caterer Bartleby & Sage and the elegant melodies of flutist and harpist duo, Duo Syrinx, the honorees graciously made their way to the podium to accept their awards and speak to the significance of their relationship with Riis Settlement. Longtime resident of Western Queens Councilmember Van Bramer recounted visiting the Riis Senior Center on several occasions during his campaign and meeting with determined seniors who vowed to hold him to his promise to improve the quality of life within the Queensbridge community. Many of those same seniors, whom he now counts as friends, were in attendance on the night of to cheer him on.
(L-R) TransCanada Representative Thomas Quartucci and Chairman of the Riis Settlement Board of Directors Michael Bingold. Photo: Tina Buckman
Along with moving remarks from honoree Lena Townsend of the Robert Bowne Foundation and Thomas Quartuccio of TransCanada, a special tribute was made in honor of Robert Cummings, a beloved member of the Queensbridge community and longtime Riis Settlement board member who had passed away earlier that November. The audience also heard from former Riis Academy participant and current Riis Settlement employee, Fatema Jannat, who credited her time at Riis Academy, and the mentoring she received from dedicated staff, for igniting in her a drive and determination, which has taken her all the way to the City University of New York (CUNY) law school where she is now in her first year of study.
Coupled with a silent auction that included a wide range of items such as a signed Bruce Springsteen electric guitar and beautifully framed art-pieces created by our seniors in the Joan Mitchell Foundation-facilitated art program at Riis Settlement, the event helped to raise $55,000. These funds will go to supporting our youth, immigrant, and senior programs and ensuring that we can continue to carry forward the vision of Jacob. A. Riis.
