December 4, 2009

An enchanting evening engaged all honored guests, members of the board of directors of AHEAD, Inc., "friends of AHEAD, Inc.," and valued patrons at the AHEAD, Incorporated, Third Annual Gala and Awards Dinner-New York City, New York, held in the glow of the George Washington Bridge, at the illustrious River Room on the Hudson River on Thursday, December 3, 2009. The evening began with great enthusiasm as the galas' co-masters of ceremony, television news anchor and personality Cathleen Trigg-Jones (AHEAD BOD) and theatre, movie, and television personality Lamman Rucker (AHEAD BOD), emersed the gathering of over 120 patrons in appreciation for the work AHEAD, Incorporated has performed in Tanzania and the Gambia for over 28 years.  

This magnificient event served as an opportunity to celebrated the lives and accomplishments of five individual honorees in a variety of areas of human endeavor, for answering the call of altruism and selflessness to the human condition. Each of these dynamic humanitarians embody the message and the mission of AHEAD, Incorporated and the tireless work that we are committed to, in remedying the catastrophic challenges in healthcare, environment, clean water, and opportunity faced by our friends in the coast region of Tanzania and the Gambia.  This years honorees were:

• Humanitarian, The Honorable David Dinkins, (Former Mayor of NYC, NY)--Recipient of the President JK Nyerere History Maker Award
• Humanitarian Montel Williams, (Television/radio personality and Social Activist)--Recipient of the Vanguard Award for Social Change
• Humanitarian Rosemond Pierre-Louis, (Manhattan Deputy Borough President)--Recipient of the Advocacy for Women Award
• Humanitarian George Hulse, (Healthcare advocate)--Recipient of the Corporate Visionary Award
• Humanitarian Brian Harper, MD, (Healthcare advocate)--Recipient of the Advancement of Public Healthcare Award

Each individual shared with the collective their insight and passion for the work that they do, and one by one, welcomed the opportunity to support AHEAD in our effort to make palpable differences in the lives of scores of people within the African diaspora, who struggle to exist disease free, sustain reliable clean food and water sources, and develop educational and economic opportunity.  AHEAD extends a most heart felt thanks to all of our honorees for their time, their voice of compassion, and their eloquence.  AHEAD sincerely thanks the arduous work of Donna Williams, DDS (AHEAD BOD) and her organizing committee for a thrilling experience.  Most of all, AHEAD thanks those friends, new and old, for your unrelenting support and generosity.  Begin planning for your attendance at this exciting event for 2010. We look forward to your participation in this and all other AHEAD events, as AHEAD marches toward our 30th anniversary in 2011.