EVENT: Asomugha Foundation's Gala, Saturday, March 19th

by Keisha Senter, Board Member, Asomugha Foundation

The Asomugha Foundation is proud to host its fifth annual gala, bringing together advocates, activists, supporters, and friends to celebrate the work of the foundation, to learn about the progress on the foundation’s key programs, and to hear the stories of the countless women and children who have benefited from those programs.

Led by Nnamdi Asomugha , a Los Angeles native and an NFL Pro Bowl cornerback who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders, the Asomugha Foundation, a 501c(3), was established with a desire to have positive impact on disadvantaged youth in the United States and underprivileged orphans and widows in Africa through education and empowerment.

On Saturday March 19, at the Renaissance Hotel at the Los Angeles International Airport, the Foundation will welcome nearly 400 guests including the mistress of ceremonies, Los Angeles media personality Michaela Pereira; former New York Giants star Michael Strahan; actor Jesse Williams; Los Angeles Clippers star Al-Farouq Aminu; ESPN personality Michael Smith; NFL legend Willie Brown; as well as the president of the Asomugha Foundation, Dr. Lillian Asomugha, and the foundation’s board members. The keynote speaker swill be legendary civil rights leader Reverend Cecil Murray; 2014 Olympic hopeful, Seun Adebiyi; and Oral Lee Brown, of the Oral Lee Brown Foundation. The gala will hold a full compliment of activities including silent and live auctions, raffles, music, entertainment, and dinner. (Photo of Nnamdi Asomugha and students at Capital Hill, courtesy of the Asomugha Foundation)

The two core programs that the Asomugha Foundation funds are Orphans and Widows In Need (OWIN) and the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars (ACTS). OWIN works to empower women in Africa by helping them to enhance their education skills and to identify entrepreneurial opportunities that enable them to not only improve their lives, but also provide support for their children and other family members. The support and assistance provided over the years has spread throughout the villages, and today, the foundation helps nearly 6,000 women and children annually. To date, over 300 young people have graduated from high school and college and the foundation has provided shelter to over 100 widows during times of emergency.

Established in 2007, ACTS has worked closely with select non-profits in the Bay Area and high schools in Los Angeles to provide 36 outstanding and talented honor students with the opportunity to visit some of the country's most renowned colleges and universities in Atlanta, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC. ACTS participants are sophomores and juniors who have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.2 and demonstrate involvement within their community or at their schools. All ACTS alumni who have graduated from high school have gone on to pursue higher education.

Please visit the Asomugha Foundation's website to purchase tickets and to learn more.