Robin Hood Calls on New Yorkers to Come Together to Help Those in Need on "Night for NYC"

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 06, 2016) -  On Monday May 9 -- the "Night for NYC" -- Robin Hood will bring the city together to help the 1.8 million New Yorkers living in poverty. At a series of events the organization, which funds and creates over 200 of the most effective poverty-fighting programs, will rally residents around #NYC4NYC. Night for NYC will run from early in the morning until late in the evening. Robin Hood has enlisted organizations large and small to underwrite the events so that every dollar raised through ticket sales will go directly to fighting poverty.

Robin Hood gathers a high profile group of celebrities, business leaders and philanthropists at its benefit each year. The Night for NYC will build on that tradition and unleash that good energy across the city.

The May 9 events include:

• Nasdaq Opening Bell Ceremony

Night for NYC will actually begin on the morning of May 9 when a group of children served by The Children's Aid Society helps ring the opening bell with Robin Hood board member Emma Bloomberg and her daughter at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square.

• Yankee Stadium - Yankees vs. Royals

More than 30,000 Yankees fans will receive a special, limited edition Robin Hood green Yankees cap and 10,000 people served by Robin Hood funded organizations will receive free tickets to the game, thanks to PepsiCo. Attendees will be treated to a pre-game ceremony featuring the Robin Hood-supported KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra and the first pitch will be thrown out by two graduating seniors from KIPP NYC College Prep High School.

• Student Mobilization

Robin Hood's Teen Council, a group of 50 students who convene monthly to learn about poverty fighting, is mobilizing to help. Teen Council members from KIPP College Prep High School in the Bronx will tutor classmates in need of extra academic help and Teen Council students from Uncommon Charter High School in Brooklyn will feed the hungry at St. John's Bread & Life.

• Two Concerts for Next-generation Poverty Fighters

Two concerts made possible by BlackRock will electrify 3,300 next-generation poverty fighters. Chance The Rapper will play Terminal 5 and Citizen Cope will perform at Irving Plaza.

• Vehicle Donation

New York Common Pantry, an organization dedicated to reducing hunger, will receive a new Transit van from Ford Motor Company, enabling the charity to expand a program delivering food to older city residents.

• Community Cheer

Four restaurants in Brooklyn - Freeks Mill, Union Pool, Black Flamingo and Montana Trail House -will be "partners in cocktails" donating a portion of the proceeds from the evening's cocktail sales to Robin Hood.

• Robin Hood's Benefit

Four thousand people will gather at the Javits Center for the annual benefit which will be hosted by Robin Hood board member Katie Couric and will include performances by eight-time Grammy winner Usher and comic stand-up star Jim Gaffigan. The benefit co-chairs are Jane and Mark Fields of Ford Motor Company, David M. Cote and Maureen Kelly of Honeywell, Sarahmay and Larry Robbins of Glenview Capital Management, and Nancy and Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital Management. This year's benefit will focus on programs that capitalize on new breakthroughs in brain research to help eliminate the school-readiness gap between rich and poor students.

• NYC Skyline Lit Robin Hood Green

At nightfall the Empire State building, Madison Square Garden and the Bloomberg Tower will turn Robin Hood green as New Yorkers join in a spirit of solidarity to help their neighbors in need.

"We're engaging companies big and small, people young and old and asking them to come together and commit to strengthening our city by helping its most vulnerable residents," said David Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood. "With #NYC4NYC we're aiming to ignite a community of caring that will have reverberations throughout New York and beyond."

"Fighting poverty means helping our 1.8 million neighbors who are poor. All of us - corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and individual New Yorkers - have a stake in the well-being of our fellow New Yorkers. Night for NYC is one important way to harness the energy and enthusiasm of those committed to easing the plight of the poorest among us," said Reynold Levy, president of Robin Hood.

Night for NYC Partners

Organizations of all kinds have stepped up to donate money, products, services and time to the effort.

About Robin Hood

Robin Hood, New York's largest poverty-fighting organization, finds, funds and creates over 200 of the most effective programs, to help 1.8 million New Yorkers learn and earn their way out of poverty. Because our board of directors underwrites all operating costs, 100% of your donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need. www.robinhood.org Facebook: facebook.com/robinhood Twitter: @robinhoodnyc

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