RESTORATION CELEBRATES 42 YEARS

On June 18 Restoration celebrated its 42nd anniversary at its annual fundraising benefit and awards ceremony at Steiner Studios at Brooklyn Navy Yard. Prominent civil rights attorney, author and Harvard Law Professor, Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. received the Robert F. Kennedy Humanitarian Award and Commissioner of NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal, Deborah VanAmerongen received the Jacob Javits Achievement Award. Maurice Dubois, CBS 2 News Anchor, hosted this event.

Highlights included a stirring keynote address offered by Professor Ogletree on the historic times we live in with the nation's first African American President Barack Obama and first Latina Supreme Court elect Sonia Sotamayor. Among the 300 plus guests included: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (son of the Restoration's founder, the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy); NYState Regent Dr. Lester Young; NYC Controller William Thompson, Jr.; Borough President Marty Markowitz; City Councilpersons Al Vann, Bill DeBlasio, Letitia James; NYC Commissioners Robert Walsh (NYC Department of Business Services); Robert Doar (Human Resources Administration); Rafael Cestero ( Department of Housing Preservation and Development).

Following the program, guests danced to the sounds of the ClassicSoulRevue. Proceeds from the event provide critical general operating dollars to support Restoration's comprehensive community development mission. Major support was made possible by: , JPMorgan Chase, Nancy and Joseph Sponholz, Joseph Sitt and Thor Equities, Prudential Financial, Bank of New York Mellon, HSBC, David and Janet Offensend, Goldman Sachs, Saxon Mortgage/Morgan Stanley, and American Express.

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