15th ANNUAL GALA

Cristo Rey Brooklyn Celebrates Historic Night

On May 15th, the Cristo Rey Brooklyn community gathered at the Pierre Hotel to mark 15 years of Cristo Rey Brooklyn and celebrate our honorees, the Most Rev. Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, Kerry Hogan Davi, Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch and our Corporate Work Study partner, American Express, which award was received on its behalf by Robert Childs, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at American Express. Seven days later, we are delighted to announce that Cristo Rey Brooklyn raised over $700K on the night, a feat that will enable us to continue and expand our mission of serving the underserved communities of NYC, providing high school students with a rigorous education and college preparatory program.

This achievement was made possible through the efforts of our Honorees, Gala Committee, Board of Directors, key corporate sponsors such as Amex and Fiserv and the more than 400 Gala attendees and supporters. To our many donors, faculty, staff, students and champions of our school and community, thank you!
 

As honoree Kerry Hogan Davi noted in her acceptance speech, "education is your pathway to success and ability to one day deliver on your calling to serve and give back." The Cristo Rey Brooklyn mission seeks to provide young people with the support system, work experience and skillset to achieve this and lead more fulfilling lives as a result. The impact of a Cristo Rey Brooklyn education begins in high school but endures for a lifetime, enabling our graduates to better serve their communities by building on their own accomplishments. Robert Childs eloquently captured the importance of this sentiment in his remarks, stating that at American Express, "we believe that our strength comes from the impact we can make on people’s lives".

Testament to the power of the Cristo Rey mission and speaking of her time working with Amex, student speaker, Sania Clarke, CRB Class of 2024, concluded by sharing, "as I move on to new opportunities, and the next chapter of my life, I leave with a heart full of gratitude and a deep appreciation for the impact this organization has had on me". And a big thank you to everyone who helped make it such a successful evening! From the remarks that evening of our long-term and retiring President Bill Henson, "Our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for making our dream possible, for enabling Cristo Rey Brooklyn to become a better version of itself. And in the months and years to come I pray you will continue to support this mission so that it grows even stronger and someday all God’s children will enjoy the opportunity to ultimately realize their full potential."