Hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Champion and Jesse Palmer, the Ad Council's 71st Annual Public Service Award Dinner Raises Record-Breaking $10 Million

The event honored NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and celebrated the nonprofit's partners powering progress

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, December 4, the Ad Council, America's leading organization harnessing the power of communications for social impact, held its Annual Public Service Award Dinner. Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, was honored for his leadership in driving the league's long-standing commitment to public service. Held at the Glasshouse in New York City, the event raised $10 million to support the nonprofit and its national social impact campaigns. 

The evening was hosted by Emmy^®, Grammy^®, Academy Award^® and Tony^® winner Whoopi Goldberg, WABC-TV and "Good Morning America" weather anchor, Sam Champion and former NFL quarterback-turned-TV personality, Jesse Palmer. Tony-nominated singer, Jasmine Amy Rogers, and R&B/Soul singer, Yoli Mayor, both performed at the event. Déjà Vu, of ABC's "Live with Kelly & Mark," joined the program as a live announcer. 

Attended by over 1,500 leaders across the advertising, business, marketing, nonprofit and tech industries, this year's event was co-chaired by Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising of The Walt Disney Company and Chair of the Ad Council's Board of Directors, with Tim Ellis, CMO of the NFL and Ad Council Board Member.   

"The Annual Public Service Award Dinner is an important reminder of the impact we can make when we collaborate across industries," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "Together, we're not just raising funds, we're driving meaningful impact on the most critical issues facing our communities." 

The NFL, Google & YouTube, and The Walt Disney Company were Titanium sponsors for the event and Adobe, Hearst, Meta, TikTok and Verizon were Diamond sponsors. Platinum sponsors included Amazon Ads, JPMorganChase, Omnicom Media Group and PayPal Ads. Gold sponsors included CBS Sports, Interpublic Group, McKinsey & Company, Netflix, Paramount Advertising and WPP, and the Arthur M Blank Family Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, Fox Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Publicis Media, Stagwell Global, The Trade Desk, United Talent Agency, Walmart and Walmart Connect were Silver sponsors. Google sponsored the Cocktail Reception and Meta sponsored the After-Party. In addition, Flowcode generously donated the custom QR code used to provide details during the event. AJL Talent, iHeartMedia and The Walt Disney Company provided the talent and entertainment for the evening. 

Roger Goodell was honored with this year's Public Service Award for the NFL's long-standing dedication to social impact. Victor Cruz, a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver who had a distinguished career with the New York Giants, joined Goodell on stage to accept the award. Under Goodell's leadership, the NFL has driven progress through advancing cultural connection, supporting military families and frontline workers and launching initiatives that promote youth health and wellness, cancer prevention and social justice across communities nationwide. For more than 25 years, the NFL has been a critical partner of the Ad Council and has played a leading role in championing the organization's major campaigns, including the "Love, Your Mind" mental health campaign. 

The event also recognized several "Champions for Good," each of whom have actively worked to create impact on, and have powerful connections to, Ad Council campaigns. These individuals included: 

• Chaunté Lowe (American High Jump Record Holder, Breast Cancer Thriver, Mental Health Advocate)
  Four-time Olympian Chaunté Lowe is the embodiment of resilience whose story transcends the podium. When diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 2019, she didn't step back – she rose to new heights, competing while also raising awareness for early detection and breast health. Today, Chaunté channels that same unbreakable mindset into her work. As a champion for the Ad Council's "Love, Your Mind" campaign, she exemplifies the power that athletes have to normalize conversations about mental health for millions of fans across America.
  
  
• Freedom Jones (Founder and CEO of Street Pause, Inc. and Senior Community Violence Intervention Advisor at Center for Hope)
  With 30 years of experience advancing community safety and healing, Freedom Jones applies a public health approach to violence prevention programs across Baltimore. Through Street Pause, Inc., Freedom created Baltimore's first full-service digital violence response model to address online conflicts and real-time incidents in the community. She also launched EmergenShe, a rapid response system supporting women leaders and frontline practitioners in community violence intervention. Freedom is a key figure within the Ad Council's Firearm Injury Prevention Initiatives.
  
  
• The DuRard Family (Co-Founders of Jonathan's Path)
  Jase, Carrie and Taylor DuRard are the Co-Founders of Jonathan's Path. Together, they have devoted their lives to walking alongside teens in and aging out of foster care, drawing on over six years of experience as foster parents and Taylor's lived experience as a former youth in foster care. Their empathy and lived experience fuel the organization's mission to stand in the gap of care for youth often overlooked by the system, ensuring they have the people, resources and opportunities needed to thrive and build a better path forward. The DuRards were recently featured in the national PSA campaign "The Rewards." Their work reflects an unwavering belief that every young person deserves a path forward — and a place to call home.

Videos of the three Champions, produced by eMotion studios and directed by Bryan Rowles, were featured in the program. This partnership was secured thanks to Adobe, who served as the evening's Creative Content Sponsor. 

The Ad Council's Public Service Award Dinner is the organization's only fundraising event and has been honoring corporate leaders for their contributions to public service since 1954. To learn more about the Ad Council, visit adcouncil.org  

About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and view campaign creative on YouTube. 

SOURCE The Ad Council