The 19th Annual President’s Dinner will be held this upcoming Thursday, Oct. 27 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan with cocktail reception starting at 6 p.m. and the awards and dinner at 7:30 p.m.
According to the event’s website sjupresidentsdinner.org, the annual dinner began in 1998 and is, in part, meant to keep St. John’s University’s message of community and service alive.
In the 145 years since its founding, the University has strived to give all deserving students a chance for higher education, no matter their social or economic status.
The funds raised from this event will allow even more students this opportunity.
The Spirit of Service Award will be presented to men and women who excel in embracing the values of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of the University.
The honorees for this year are Eileen A. Tarantino ‘80 CBA, Joseph A. Tarantino ‘80 CBA, Brother Alfred J. Smith C.M., Valeria L. Sodano Ph.D. ‘49 CBA and Gerard L. Sodano ‘49 CBA.
Bruce Beck, the Lead Anchor for Sports at NBC 4 New York, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Beck served those in need in the New York area for many years.
Some of his charitable work includes volunteering in St. John’s Bread and Life Program, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation and Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
According to his profile on sjupresidentsdinner.org, Beck has worked with St. John’s University since 2009 when he delivered the commencement speech to the Staten Island Campus.
The President of the University, Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., plans to share recent developments within the University along with new changes in faculty. Donations are welcomed and and tickets are still available.
They start at $50 for the cocktail portion of the event for 2007-2016 undergraduate and graduate alumni, with no donations required.
Tickets run for $250+ for employees and donors of the University, varying by number of seats, tables and donations.
For more information, visit sjupresidentsdinner.org.
