3rd Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball to Support UNCF and Edward Waters University

JACKSONVILLE, FL, Feb. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host its 3rd annual Jacksonville Mayor’s Masked Ball on Friday March 22, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront. Over 500 corporate partners, educators, religious leaders and community influencers are expected to attend including our hosts Mayor Donna Deegan, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr., president and CEO, Edward Waters University.

For 80 years, UNCF has strived to change the HBCU narrative across the nation by equipping more HBCU students with the resources necessary to transition into college, graduate and ultimately expand and diversify America’s highly educated workforce.

UNCF is proud to call Edward Waters University one of 37 member institutions it supports.  Edward Waters University is distinctively the state of Florida’s first independent institution of higher learning as well as Florida’s first institution established for the education of African Americans.

With a distinguished higher education lineage spanning over 150 years, having recently earned university status buttressed by new academic degree programs, and experiencing record enrollment increases making EWU Florida’s fastest-growing HBCU, Edward Waters is primed to continue its trajectory towards becoming State of Florida’s ‘Destination institution’ of Emerging Eminence.

“As America builds back better, historically Black colleges and universities have never been more important to the nation’s economic growth. HBCUs are major engines of Black social and economic mobility and the prosperity of state and local communities. Yet, they remain systemically underfunded,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “Your support is needed more than ever as UNCF fights for increases in federal support for Pell Grants and other student aid and state support for our 37 member institutions and HBCUs overall. I encourage you to invest in UNCF so together we can invest in and build future generations of Black college students who will lead this nation and contribute to our economy. Events like the Jacksonville Mayor’s Masked Ball help us do just that.”

The event is chaired by Arthur Adams of CSX. Sponsors include CSX, Florida Blue, JEA, Wells Fargo, Vystar Credit Union, the Jacksonville Jaguars and many others.

Cleve Warren will receive the UNCF Champion of Education award for his steadfast commitment to education and unwavering support of UNCF and Edward Waters University.

With the help of the Northeast Florida community, $585,000 was awarded last year in scholarships and programs for UNCF-member HBCUs and other colleges and universities including Edward Waters University.

Entertainment will be provided by Bold City Classics. The event will also feature student testimonials, touching moments and a silent auction. Last year, more than $300,000 was raised to help deserving students from the Jacksonville area get to and through college successfully.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Paul Gloersen at 407-491-1264 or by email at [email protected]. Unable to attend, but want to make a difference in a student’s life? You can also follow this event @UNCF #UNCF #UNCFJax on social media.

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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

Paul Gloersen
United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF)
407-491-1264
[email protected]