NEW YORK,NY(SMI-PHILANTHROPY,10.04.19)-In celebration of the SportsBall 2019 and its 25th Annual Black Tie & Sneakers Gala, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health(AAIUH) honored last Wednesday (10.02.19), Stan Smith(2-Times Grand Slam Single Champion), Cheryl Wills (Emmy Award-winning Journalist), Sydney C. Butts, MD & Guy Vickers, during a sold-out event at the ballroom of the Grand-Hyatt Hotel in the heart of NYC.

 

The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, a non-profit organization named after the late-Arthur Ashe, who was a 3-Times Grand Slam Single champion (US OPen 1968, Australian Open 1970 & Wimbledon 1975) and for being the only black tennis player to ever win three Tennis Grand Slam crowns, raises funds through its annual SportsBall gala in benefit of its ongoing health education programs and research iniciaties of the institute.

This annual Black Tie & Sneakers benefit gala is well known for its renowned attendees who gather very year representing sports, philanthropy, business, entertainment, and medicine to celebrate the legacy of tennis champion, activist, and humanitarian Arthur Ashe.

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 About SportsBall:

SportsBall 2019 is a celebration with a purpose. Each year, the Institute honors individuals and organizations that are making significant contributions to urban communities in the areas of health, education, medical research, community service, and philanthropy. The funds raised at SportsBall support the Institute’s innovative community health education programs and research initiatives. Arthur Ashe founded the Institute in 1992, just two months before his death from AIDS, in response to the disproportionate amount of illness and death in urban communities from preventable diseases.  Arthur knew that many of these diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, were the result of inadequate health care delivery systems, late detection, and insufficient health education.

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The presentations and awards ceremony were co-hosted by Ruschell Boone (NY1 Reporter) and Les Trent (Inside Edition,Tv Personality CBS), during a three-course seated elegant dinner and dancing for entertainment.

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The 2019 Sportsball Honorees were:

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Stan Smith is a legend of his sport(Tennis), not oly for the myriad tennis titles on his resume, but also for the legacy of sports-manship and courtesy he has brought to the profession, and which he continues to exude today.He dominated tennis in the early 1970's, winning the U.S. Open in 1971 and Wimbledon in 1972. In his career he has won 39 single titles. He also  represented his country in the Davis Cup for 10 years, helping to win the coveted championship seven times. Stan was the number one player for so many years  and was inducted into the international Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986 and 2011 became the President of the organization.

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Cheryl Wills is a veteran anchor for Spectrum News NY1 currently celebrating her 25th anniversary with the national news team.She is the primetime anchor for NY1's Live at Ten and the host of the public affairs show in Focus with Cheryl Wills. In 2018, Cheryl Became the first African-American reporter in NY1's history to win an Emmy Award.

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Sydney C. Butts, MD serves aa the chief of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at University Hospital Brooklyn/SUNY Downstate Health Services University and Kings County Hospital Center.Dr. Butt's clinical focus includes the management of cleft lip and palate anomalies, adult and pedriatic maxillofacial trauma and specialty in skin cancer.As a volunteer and mentor, Dr. Butts worked internationally on surgical humanitariam missions to perform facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in underserved areas of the world. 

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Guy Vickers is the President of the PVH Foundation at PVH Corp in NYC.Guy is responsible for expanding the PVH Foundation through global strategic programming and philanthropic partnerships value at over $25, as well as building a platform fro Community relations that aligns each of the PVH business.

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In addition to the elegant dinner and entertainment, all guests received a pair of Adidas' white sneakers and bag of goodies from the gala sponsors.

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The notable and renowned attendees included: David Dinkins, former Mayor of New York City and past SportsBall honoree; Brett Wright, Co-Founder and CEO of Uptown Media Ventures, and Board Chair of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; Wayne J. Riley, President SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; Yvonna Kopacz Wright, Actress, The Village, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Guiding Light; Mike Woods, Meteorologist and Reporter on FOX 5’s Good Day New York, People Magazine’s Sexiest Anchor Alive, and SportsBall 2018 honoree; Steve Lacy, Anchor Fox 5 News at 5:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.; Tamsen Fadal, 12-time Emmy winning Anchor, PIX11 News, and host of Broadway Profiles; Kori Chambers, PIX 11 News Anchor; Mr. G, Meteorologist, PIX 11 News; Ines Rosales, Morning Traffic Anchor on FOX 5 Good Day New York; Javier Gomez, Artist & Designer, Maison&Objet Ambassador, featured in BVLGARI, FENDI Casa, Roche-Bobois, People Magazine's Sexiest Artist Alive; and Kym Hampton (WNBA), retired professional basketball player…..

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About the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

In 1992, Arthur Ashe established the Institute in partnership with SUNY Downstate, moved by the institution's long history of serving immigrants and low-income Brooklyn residents, as well as its staff and faculty's research. The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, located in multi-ethnic Brooklyn, collaborates with community members to design and conduct neighborhood-based interventions that address health conditions that disproportionately affect minorities. Recognizing the complexity of the economic and social determinants of health, the Institute partners with a wide variety of grassroots and institutional organizations to provide after-school science enrichment, outreach initiatives in trusted venues, and research and advocacy. Community Health Empowerment guides and unifies all of the Institute’s work.