2010 Annual Turnaround Impact Awards Dinner Recap

Over 450 friends of Turnaround for Children attended the inaugural Turnaround Impact Awards Dinner on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at the Plaza Hotel. The event brought in over $1.1 million to support Turnaround’s partnerships with public schools. Turnaround honored Chancellor Merryl Tisch, Chancellor Joel I. Klein, and journalist Perri Peltz with Turnaround Impact Awards. Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a surprise guest appearance and affirmed the need to improve public school education: “It’s not the kids that are failing in our schools,” Bloomberg stated. “It’s the schools that are failing our kids.”

Master of Ceremonies Chris Cuomo led the evening. Students from Turnaround schools Chelsea Rafferty, Rosie Lynn Marasigan, and Clinton Ortiz thanked and introduced Turnaround’s honorees. Pamela Cantor M.D, Turnaround Founder, President and CEO, recognized the organization’s “early angels” and announced Turnaround’s expansion to Washington, D.C. schools in the 2010-2011 school year. Other highlights of the night included director Alexandra Shiva’s film profiling Turnaround, a live auction, and a performance from Tony Award-winning singer, Kelli O’Hara.

The second annual Turnaround Impact Awards Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the Plaza Hotel.

View photos here.