The United Negro College Fund's January 6 weekend broadcast

The College Fund (UNCF)
Wednesday, 31 January 2001

Fairfax, VA ( January 31, 2001)—Viewers and supporters coast-to-coast tuned into the United Negro College Fund's (UNCF) An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence fund-raising television special to the tune of $13.7 million in cash and pledges. The broadcast surpassed last year's fund-raising record with an increase of 2.2 percent over the 2000 total. "I would like to thank our loyal supporters, celebrity hosts, performers, corporate sponsors, radio stations, newspapers, magazine and television stations for generously participating in An Evening of Stars," said William H. Gray, III, president and chief executive officer of UNCF. "The $13.7 million raised through the public's support will aid thousands of talented students who are struggling financially to attain a higher education. Without the aid of UNCF, many of these young people would not be able to earn a college degree, achieve their goals, and give back to the community."

There were 68 top television stations in every major television market broadcasting An Evening of Stars -- including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, and UPN network affiliates. In addition, cable network BET aired this special fund-raiser.

UNCF AEOS 200l PLEDGES

An Evening of Stars was hosted by Lou Rawls, Debbie Allen, Robert Townsend, and Vivica A. Fox and featured special performances by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, Shirley Caesar, Gerald Levert, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Kevon Edmonds and Virtue, an up-and-coming female group comprised of former UNCF students. There were special appearances by comedian Sinbad, R&B singer Sisqo and actor Ernie Hudson, star of HBO's Oz. In addition, An Evening of Stars honored outstanding UNCF alumni and students through inspiring profiles. Once again, An Evening of Stars was successfully produced and directed by Emmy Award-winner Louis J. Horvitz. An Evening of Stars was made possible through the generous support of national corporate sponsors: American Airlines, AT&T, DaimlerChrysler, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., KFC and Prudential.

The United Negro College Fund

The United Negro College Fund is the nation's oldest and most successful minority higher education assistance organization in the country. Its mission is to enhance the quality of education by providing financial assistance to deserving students, raise operating funds for their 39 member colleges and universities, and increase access to technology for students and faculty. UNCF administers more than 450 scholarships and fellowships to students and faculty who attend UNCF member colleges and universities, other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and majority institutions throughout the country. In its 56-year history, UNCF has raised over $1.6 billion to promote higher education achievement and has helped more than 300,000 students earn undergraduate and graduate degrees.

For more information, or to contact The College Fund (UNCF), see their website at: www.uncf.org