Thug Life Army

Members of the New York Chapter of Spelman College’s National Alumna Association have gotten together with members of the NAACP to sponsor an after-work fundraising gala, Wednesday October 5 from 6:30 pm – 11:30 pm at Club Blvd in New York City, to raise money for Spelman College’s Hurricane Katrina Emergency Scholarship Fund and the NAACP’s Disaster Relief Fund. Part comedy show, part date auction, the after-work mixer will give concerned participants a chance to donate to the education of more than 100 Spelman College students impacted by the devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and to the NAACP’s Disaster Relief Fund.

“Being on the Apprentice provided me with unparalleled exposure and a wonderful platform to launch a number of business ventures, however I would not have had any of the opportunities I''ve enjoyed in my life without the strong foundation I was able to build through my academic education,” explains former Apprentice star Kwame Jackson who is being auctioned at the event. “I am honored to be able to participate in this fundraiser to help students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and grateful to be working with Spelman College, one of the premier academic institutions in this country, and the NAACP, the preeminent civil rights organization in the nation.” Money raised during evening will go towards the more than $1.5 million needed to help these displaced students, including 34 whose homes were completely destroyed. "If you ever thought about giving to the victims of this storm, now's the time," urges 2002 graduate Cynthia Daniels. "We need to help our sisters in their quest for a higher education."

Proceeds from the event will also be going to the NAACP’s Disaster Relief Fund, which has been set up to provide immediate relief to the neediest victims of Hurricane Katrina. “I simply was unable to sit and watch the grief and not do something about it,” states Spelman alumna and NAACP member Kerry-Ann Poyser Edwards. “I didn''t want to forget these people, the way our government had.”

“This event has now turned more into a community effort than just four women who wanted to do something to help their community,” says 2004 graduate Krystle Watler. “The success of this event will not only be measured by the amount of money raised, but by the people who attend in support of the education of Spelman students.”

New York Comedy Club’s Jamie Roberts will serve as MC and host for the event.

Tickets to the event are a modest $15 donation. Non-ticket holders will be asked to make a $20 donation the night of the event. Please contact the following for more ticket information.

Cynthia Daniels

Phone: 1.516.661.9933 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Kerry-Ann Poyser Edwards

Phone: 1.212.449.8300 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tavia Johnson

Phone: 1.917.501.1127 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Krystle Watler

Phone: 1.212.816.6399 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more ticket information.

Location: Club Blvd (199 Bowery @ Spring St.) Date: Wed 10/5 Time: 6:30 pm-11:30pm

Spelman College:

Founded in 1881, in Atlanta, Ga, Spelman College is the only historically Black college in the nation to be included on the U.S. News and World Report’s list of top 75 “Best Liberal Arts Colleges – Undergraduate,” 2005. This private, historically Black women’s college boasts outstanding alumnae, including Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; U.S. Foreign Service Director Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson.

NAACP:

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.