Fortune Society Gala Raises $109K

Glenn E. Martin, Vice President of Development and Public Affairs; Karen Williams, the Visionary and Co-Producer of “Bring You’re ‘A’ Game”; Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker; Betty P. Rauch, The Fortune Society Board Chair; JoAnne Page, President and Chief Executive Officer; Eric Krebs, Broadway Producer; Sherry Goldstein, Chief of Staff)

More than 300 members of New York City’s philanthropic, business, civic and theater communities gathered on Monday at the Fortune Society’s Annual Awards and Benefit Gala.  The event, held at the Laura Pels Theater, honored Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker and Broadway Producer Eric Krebs. 

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee and New York State Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright served as the evening’s honorary Co-Chairs. The Fortune Society is one of the nation’s most respected nonprofit organizations offering services to formerly incarcerated men and women. 

Proceeds from the gala totaled $109,000 and support Fortune’s wide range of services that help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully re-enter their communities. 

Mayor Booker received the David Rothenberg Achievement Award. “Mayor Booker’s supportive programs for formerly incarcerated men and women serve as a critical component of his vision of urban transformation for Newark,” said JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society. 

Krebs was the producer of The Castle, a play conceived and directed by Fortune founder David Rothenberg highlighting true-life stories of incarceration and life beyond prison walls.  He was honored at the gala with the Corporate Leaders for Change Award.  “As the producer of The Castle, Mr. Krebs continues to spread the word about Fortune’s long history of advocacy and reentry services to community members, students, parole and probation officials, clergy, legislators, and other critical stakeholders,” said JoAnne Page.

“We need more leaders like these two men both of whom work proactively to help formerly incarcerated men and women re-enter their communities as positive, contributing, hard-working citizens,” she continued. “I thank them for their hard work and I am honored to present them with these awards.”

Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour, awards presentation and screening of Bring Your ‘A’ Game, a 22-minute documentary that focuses on the relationship between high school drop-out rates, low educational expectations and the growing prison population.