Africa makes its mark in Manhattan

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A full house of 600 people will gather on November 14^th at Chelsea Piers, for the fifth Annual New York Change-Maker's Ball, held to celebrate the spirit of empowering rural Africa to achieve economic independence. All proceeds from the night will support the work of the non-profit Self Help Africa in enterprise development.

Star of the evening will be Uzo Aduba, the Emmy Award-winning star of 'Orange Is The New Black', who will be honored with the Spirit of Africa Award. Aduba, who plays Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren in the Netflix series, was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian parents and maintains strong connections to the continent.

The Spirit of Africa award recognizes the talent, creativity and enterprise emerging from modern Africa, including from members of the diaspora. The 2013 recipient was Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef and restaurateur.

"I am honored to be the recipient of Self Help Africa's 2014 Spirit of Africa Award," said Uzo. "By fostering an environment that teaches a (wo)man to fish, Self Help Africa helps to create self-sustaining households, directly impacting generations still unborn.  I feel truly blessed to be recognized by this organization," said Uzo.

Joining Uzo on the night are Giants quarterback Prince Amukamara, Vinny Pastore of the Sopranos, Lorraine Toussaint (OITNB) and Irish rugby legend Denis Hickie.

Chairing the event are insurance industry leaders Karl Wall, CEO of Aylesbury Insurance Acquisitions and Tom Nichols, CFO of Enstar (US) inc.

"This event is about telling New Yorkers what's possible in Africa," says Karl Wall. "For so long, the continent has been associated with poverty and famine, but Self Help Africa's work is about identifying entrepreneurs in Africa and investing in them. The spirit and the drive coming from Africa is incredible, and we're delighted to be able to promote it here in Manhattan."

Guests will enjoy plenty of entertainment including a live auction and live music. Delta Air Lines is a key sponsor of the event, supporting the organization as part of their ongoing commitment to give back to the communities it serves.The Change-Maker's Cocktail will be created this year by Jack McGarry of the Dead Rabbit, the youngest ever recipient of the highly prestigious "Tales of Cocktail International Bar Tender of the Year" Award.

"The night is about celebrating change," adds Martha Hourican, Self Help Africa's Head of Development. "Everyone is supporting the next 12 months of work that Self Help Africa is undertaking, bringing real and permanent change to hundreds of thousands of lives across Africa.It's a great night, and everyone has a lot of fun, but the real winner from all of it is Africa."

Thanks to our Corporate Table and Event Sponsors: Aylesbury Insurance Acquisitions, Delta, Enstar, Keefe, Bruyette& Woods, PwC, Teneo, The American Ireland Fund, Bank of Ireland, Becketts/Dubliner, BGC Partners, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, Digicel, Con Egan, FGC Securities, Goldberg Segalla, Great Oaks Capital, Hargraves McConnell, Mad Dog & Beans/BierhausNYC, Matheson, Mayer Brown, Nelson Brown, PernodRicard, QBE, Route66/Bavaria, Taplin Law, Taproom307, Tavern29/Stone Street Tavern, Thompson & Knight, Tibbets, Keating & Butler, Conor O'Driscoll, StoliElit, Brass Monkey, International Business Network (IIBN), Irish Business Organization (IBO)

The Fifth Annual New York Change-Maker's Ball takes place in Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, on November 14^th at 7:30pm.

For more information, please contact [email protected] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 212 206 0847.

Media Contacts:
Sean Schrecengost, [email protected], 201-281-7125
Nicola Parish, [email protected]

SOURCE Self Help Africa