New York – The Children’s Aid Society honored Mayor Bloomberg and Richard W. Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman and trustee of The Children’s Aid Society, at its third annual gala, held yesterday at event space 583 Park Avenue in New York City. The Keeping the Promise gala – marking 160 years of service – raised a total of $1.6 million for Children’s Aid, which provides comprehensive support for over 70,000 low-income children and families in New York City each year at over 40 schools, community centers, health clinics and through foster care services.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was presented with the Public Service Award for his substantial contributions to education reform and improving the lives of New York City’s low-income children. Mayor Bloomberg was cited for using his platform to shine a spotlight on poverty and holding himself and his administration accountable for moving the needle on it, especially for those who are most often left out of the educational and economic mainstream of our city and our country.  

“It’s an honor to receive this award – and I accept it on behalf of everyone in our administration who has worked so hard to fight poverty over the past 12 years,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “I think it’s fair to say that no American city has battled poverty more directly, or with more determination and innovation, than New York. And while poverty in our city is still much too high, there is no doubt that – without the extraordinary investments we’ve made – it would be much higher.”

Richard W. Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman and trustee of The Children’s Aid Society received the Promise Award for his commitment to serving our city’s neediest children. Edelman is an active ambassador for The Children’s Aid Society, serving on the Board of Trustees as co-chair of the development committee, and advocate for corporate social responsibility.

“Richard Edelman has been a champion for the youth at our Frederick Douglass Center in Harlem,” said Children’s Aid President and CEO Richard R. Buery, Jr. “Richard and his wife Roz have done everything from paying to fix the basketball court to driving teams to tournaments. Richard Edelman’s dedication to The Children’s Aid Society is unparalleled.”

The Children’s Aid Society provides New York City’s children with holistic services, from birth through young adulthood, in order to put them on the path to college education, the surest way out of poverty.  

The event, which drew 450 guests, was hosted by Karina Melendez, a cancer survivor and sophomore at Columbia who entered Children’s Aid’s foster care program at 15, and General Washington, whose involvement with Children’s Aid began as a toddler in Early Head Start and culminated with help securing scholarships to CUNY College of Staten Island, where he is currently studying biology.

A live auction hosted by NBC-4’s Bruce Beck raised $75,000 from bids on items such as pairs of Super Bowl tickets and a private lunch with Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Photos of the event are available at PatrickMcMullan.com and ChildrensAidSociety.org.

The Children’s Aid Society is an independent, not-for-profit organization established to serve the children of New York City.  Our mission is to help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive supports to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Founded in 1853, it is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving New York’s neediest children. Services are provided in community schools, neighborhood centers, health clinics and camps. For additional information, please call Anthony Ramos at (212) 949-4938/ (917) 204-8214, email anthonyr@childrensaidsociety.org or visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.