December 13, 2013 (New York, NY) – Last night, HOT 97 WQHT FM, the #1 station for hip hop and R&B in the New York tri-state area, hip hop Has Heart Foundation, Incite, and Emmis NY staff hosted a day of service, “Lift ‘Em Up,” a celebration that gave those less fortunate a first class experience and dignified evening of gourmet food and holiday entertainment. The night was truly inspiring, as everyone from Emmis NY, joined by partners and volunteers, came together to provide an outstanding feast and holiday market for 200 New Yorkers in need. The motivation was simple: to uplift others and provide nourishment for both bodies and souls, and give back to the community. Emmis NY, our partners and supporters are honored to have been part of an extraordinary evening, full of food, festivities, and fun! Catch the complete video recap here.
Participants invited by council members Leroy Comrie, Donovan Richards, and Ruben Wills, as well as the Allan Houston Foundation, P.S. 195 Rosedale, P.S. 276 Louis Marshall School, P.S. 45 Clarence Witherspoon School, and the St. Albans School, P.S. 36, arrived at the winter wonderland hungry and excited! Families gathered on the “Lift ‘Em Up” red carpet to take photos to bring home as mementos, and then stopped by the Fidelis Care Health Insurance and Queens Library tables to pick up free swag and keepsakes. HOT 97’s Ebro Darden welcomed families, and DJs C-Lo and Spynfo spun Hip Hop and holiday beats, as people gathered into the main hall for a delectable banquet of entrées, sides, salad and dessert. Mr. Curtis Farrow was on-hand to provide an inspirational invocation and help announce the dinner service. Check out the complete holiday menu below!
“I love helping those that need a little lift in life. Good food can put a smile on ones face!” states Celebrity Chef contributor, Chef Jesse.
During the meal, participants enjoyed performances by Akeem Headley, renowned pianist, saxophonist and director of Riffz, the jazz band from Joe’s Music Academy, and Sebastian Mikael, who recently performed in front of a sold out crowd at HOT 97’s Who’s Next Live, and is set to release his full-length debut album in February 2014. Grammy nominated Hip Hop artist and actor, Ja Rule, joined fellow Queens-native, Rockwilder, the beautiful Barbadian singer Shontelle, and R&B singer/songwriter Sevyn Streeter, on the buffet line to help serve food and spend time with attendees. Head to HOT97.com to see all of the photos of the night!
Raffles were held throughout the night, with lucky contestants winning tickets to see the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets in action during this holiday season. The festivities concluded with a visit to the Grow NYC Holiday Market, where families were able to take home Rocawear clothing, Knicks swag courtesy of the Ron Artest Foundation, new toys donated by Hip Hop Has Heart, fruits and vegetables courtesy of Grow NYC, home-made pies from Mr. Tod’s Pie Factory, non-perishable items collected by Fidelis Care Health Insurance, Millennium Honda, and the Black Public Relations Society NY, and turkeys from Western Beef (Food Nation), as well as items from recipes contributed by Chef Michael Symon, of ABC’s “The Chew” and Bravo TV’s Chef Roble.
We would like to thank our partners Fidelis Health Care Insurance, Millennium Honda, the NYC Department of Health, Procter & Gamble, Red Rabbit and the US Army for their contributions to “Lift ‘Em Up,” as well as our supporters Village Voice, Tenè Nicole Marketing & PR, the Epsilon Pi Omega chapter of AKA, Black Public Relations Society NY, the Greater Queens Chapter of the Links, and the Allan Houston Foundation. Additional thanks Bruno’s on the Blvd for their professional catering assistance, and the Hip Hop Has Heart auxiliary board members Ebro Darden, Funkmaster Flex, Angie Martinez, Miss Info, DJ Enuff, and Roxanna Thomas.
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