NEW YORK(SMI-WIRE,05.17.18)-The Room To Read, a non-Profit organization that has benefited 12.4 million with its transformational impact & philanthropic commitments to global education hosted its annual fundraising gala event this evening; honoring Samantha Barry (Editor-In-Chief of Glamour Magazine) & Citigroup CEO-President of Institutional Client Group; Jamie Forese at SECOND-The Eventi Hotel in New York.

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This Annual fundraising event brings Wall Street, media and entertainment communities together, changing the lives of 50,000 children through Room to Read’s literacy and girls’ education programs.

 

Room to Read, a global education non-profit that has benefitted 12.4 million children in low-income countries around the world.The evening raised funds to benefit 50,000 children through Room to Read’s programs in literacy and girls’ education. Room to Read will honor edJ amie Forese, President, Citigroup, for Citigroup’s transformational impact on literacy and girls’ education through their e for Education initiative which has raised over $22 million for education-focused non-profits and invested $3.1 million in Room to Read’s programs since 2013; and Samantha Barry for Glamour’s commitment to world change through empowering women and girls through Glamour’s philanthropic initiative, The Girl Project, which aims to unleash the vast economic and social power of girls through education and is currently supporting Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program in Tanzania. 

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The 2018 Room to Read was hosted by CNBC Anchor Sara Eisen as a Master of ceremony and grammy award-winner ASHANTI as special guest performer for the evening paying tribute to this year honorees. 

Additonal Notable attendees included:

·            Ashanti, Grammy Award winning artist

·            Samantha Barry, Editor in Chief, Glamour and event honoree

·            Dilshad Vadsaria, actress and Room to Read ambassador

·            Kimberly Vandenberg, Olympic medalist and Room to Read ambassador

·            Sara Eisen, Anchor, CNBC and event emcee

·            Poppy Harlow, Anchor, CNN and Room to Read supporter

·            Jamie Forese, President, Citigroup and event honoree

·            John Wood, Founder, Room to Read

·            Geetha Murali, CEO, Room to Read

·            Scott Kapnick, CEO, HPS Investment Partners and Board Member, Room to Read

·            Grace Piscuss Massawe, Room to Read Girls’ Education Program graduate from Tanzania

 

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children, Room to Read’s innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools in low-income countries during two time periods that are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. Room to Read has benefited 12.4 million children across more than 20,000 communities in 15 countries and aims to reach 15 million children by 2020.