CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 10th Anniversary UNCF Charlotte Mayor’s Masked Ball presented by Lowe’s took place March 23 at the Charlotte Convention Center raising more than $1.4 million to support UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“It was a huge success. The best Charlotte ball ever! We had over 60 sponsors and 1,050 guests who joined us for an evening of celebration, fundraising and partying with a purpose. This year sneakers were highly encouraged, and at least 75% of guests wore sneakers and thanked us for making it an option. Guests from age 20 – 85 partied together on a packed dance floor. It was a special night enjoyed by all,” said Tiffany Jones, area development director, North Carolina Area Office, UNCF.
Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress received the Masked Lifetime Achievement Award; Derrick Jones aka DJ D-Nice, artist, philanthropist and the evening’s DJ, received the Masked Hero Award; Fred Whitfield, immediate past president and vice chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, received the Masked award and David and Nicole Tepper, owners of the Carolina Panthers and Charotte FC, received the Masked Award.
The event hosts included UNCF Board Chair Milton H. Jones, Jr., Hon. Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte; UNCF Board Members Serena and Kieth Cockrell and Nina and James Jackson who served as co-chairs; and Jorges Andres, WBTV news anchor and emcee.
Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC) was in attendance as well as a host of other elected officials from across the state. The program opened with UNCF-member Johnson C. Smith University’s band marching into the ballroom and culminating on the dance floor in a five-minute performance. Two student scholars gave powerful testimonies: Nicholas Brown, a Morehouse College freshman and recipient of the Gantt-McColl Scholarship, and Lmani Thomas, a Spelman College freshman and recipient of the Kieth and Serena Cockrell Scholarship. The Cockrell’s and the Gantt’s were in the room to see their scholarship recipients and were able to meet them and take pictures.
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." ® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
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