On November 7, Broward College hosted its American Dream Scholarship Luncheon. The one-hour event raised more than $300,000 for scholarships for Broward College’s students. Business and community leaders joined Broward College students at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale to hear stories about how higher education has the power to shape and transform lives.
“There’s nothing more powerful or inspiring than hearing the stories of our students,” said John P. Hart, Chair of the Broward College Foundation’s Board of Directors. “They will educate our children… they will stabilize our economy…they will build our communities…they will inspire us with works of art and music… they will fund our charities.” And that is just the beginning.
Adding a new twist, student vignettes including nursing students showcasing their skills on patient simulators; ballerinas and modern dance performances and students from Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society dotted the pre-function area, subtly leading guests into the ballroom for the main event.
“The impact of the American Dream Scholarship Luncheon on our students is unparalleled,” said Nancy Botero, Broward College’s Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Broward College Foundation. “We’d like to express gratitude to our partners, who continue to support our endeavors at such an extraordinary level.”
All costs associated with producing the American Dream Scholarship Luncheon were underwritten, thanks to the generosity of Presenting Partner BB&T, Educational Partner Florida Power and Light, Silver Partners AutoNation and Fastrack MCI, Leadership Partner ACAI and Corporate Trustee MEP Structural.
Fundraising efforts were jump-started thanks to significant leadership gifts from the Leo Goodwin Foundation and the Wells Fargo Foundation. “We also received tremendous support from the Hamilton M. and Blanche C. Forman Christian Foundation and the Osman Foundation,” Botero said. “We’re truly grateful for all of Broward College’s numerous supporters.” “At Broward College, we believe all of our students deserve the opportunity to transform their lives through higher education … to take responsibility for the direction of their futures,” said Terri Justice, this year’s American Dream Scholarship Luncheon’s chair. “Broward College provides high quality educational opportunities … but [even still], many of our students are struggling. To address this we created the American Dream Scholarship, which helps our students bridge the gap between the amount of federal assistance available and the true costs of college attendance.”
“There is no substitute for the gift of education,” added Botero. “We are thrilled there are so many who choose to invest in Broward College’s students and that we have the honor of educating tomorrow’s leaders today.”
Donations from Broward College’s generous benefactors were matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of each partner’s leadership gift.
For more information, visit www.broward.edu/foundation. For more information on partnership opportunities, contact Ellice A. Martinez at emartine@broward.edu or 954-201-7373.
The mission of the Broward College Foundation is to transform lives through education by providing community awareness, advocacy and financial resources to Broward College.
