Star Studded Luncheon to Celebrate 14 deserving New York Tri-State Area Ronald McDonald House Charities African American Future Achievers scholarship recipients

Featured actor, Tobias Truvillion from the #1 hit primetime series EMPIRE, Two-Time New York Giants Super Bowl Champion, Kareem McKenzie, and unforgettable performances by International recording artist Allyson Williams and Tony Award Winner, Melba Moore and special appearance by Cissy Houston

News provided by

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area

Jun 14, 2017, 05:00 ET

ISELIN, N.J., June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearts were warmed as stars, family members, and loved ones gathered on June 7, 2017 at the beautiful Crystal Plaza (Livingston, NJ) for the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities

New York Tri-State Area

First Row: McDonald's Owner Operator (O/O) Angela Adderly, Raniya Martin-Davis, Rowuaida Nitiema, Kamille Banks, Berlindyne Elie, Samayia Taylor, Akalah Bobb, Minasdine Rene, Nicole Taylor, McDonald's O/O Nellie Thomas, McDonald's O/O Alisa Harrison, Ronald McDonald, McDonald's O/O Paul Hendel, McDonald's O/O Josh Kaufman. Second Row: Tobias Truvillion, McDonald's O/O Linda Dunham, Elizabeth Richardson, Milencia Saintus, Adam Wickham, Michael Watson, Chris Yankah, McDonald's O/O Marty Gillis, Ryan Emmanuel, Kelly Bamfo, McDonald's O/O Herb Thomas, McDonald's O/O Ron Bailey. Third Row: Kareem McKenzie, Julio Morgan, McDonald's Owner Operator (O/O) Dave Hatten, McDonald's O/O Jim Swanson

African American Future Achievers (RMHC/AAFA) Scholarship Luncheon. The New York Tri-State Area McDonald's Owner/Operators Association hosted the elegant luncheon for 14 deserving high school graduating seniors from across the New York Tri-State Area who will be attending 4 year colleges and universities in the fall.

"The RMHC/African-American Future Achievers Scholarship program was designed to address the reality that many students of African descent face significant financial barriers to higher education," said Christopher Perry, Executive Director or RMHC-NYSTA. "We are incredibly proud to offer 14 generous college scholarships this year to help these promising young students achieve their dreams of obtaining a higher education."

"The New York Tri-State Area McDonald's Owner/Operators Association and Ronald McDonald House Charities are always proud to support education in black communities by offering the African American Future Achievers scholarship to deserving high school graduating seniors," said Paul Hendel, McDonald's Owner Operator and McDonald's New York Metro Co-Op President. "We are so proud to offer 14 scholarships totaling more than a quarter million dollars this year, and we look forward to raising more money to support more students in years to come."

The following students will receive $16,000 over four years:

Name	Hometown	High School	University attending

1. Kelly Bamfo	Bronx, NY	Stephen T. Mather High School	Alfred State College
2. Kamille Banks	Lodi, NJ	Lodi High School	Spelman College
3. Akalah Bobb	Brooklyn, NY	Uncommon Collegiate Charter HS	Marshall University
4. Berlindyne Elie	Irvington, NJ	Christ the King Preparatory HS	Boston College
5. Ryan Emmanuel	Brooklyn, NY	Cristo Rey High School	Fordham University
6. Raniya Martin-Davis	Passaic, NJ	Paterson CS For SCI/TECH	University of Florida
7. Rouwaida Nitiema	Newark, NJ	Newark Early College High School	Gettysburg College
8. Minasdine Rene	Stamford, CT	Stamford High School	Fairfield University
9. Milencia Saintus	Roselle, NJ	Abraham Clark High School	Seton Hall University
10. Samayia Taylor	Newark, NJ	St. Vincent Academy	Howard University
11. Michael Watson	Uniondale, NY	Uniondale High School	Princeton University
12. Adam Wickham	New York, NY	Stuyvesant High School	Princeton University
13. Chris Yankah	Elmont, NY	Elmont Memorial High School	Vanderbilt University

In addition, the following student will receive the Lee Dunham Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $25,000 over four years:

14. Nicole Taylor

East Orange, NJ

East Orange STEM Academy

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The luncheon was co-hosted by two-time New York Giants Super Bowl Champion, Kareem McKenzie and award-winning actor Tobias Truvillion from the #1 hit primetime series Empire. There were also two amazing musical performances, one from Melba Moore, who sang her heart felt song, "If You Believe," and Alyson Williams, who sang one of her hits, "Just Call My Name".

RMHC/AAFA has been able to transform the lives of eligible graduating high school seniors who face limited access to educational opportunities by virtue of their financial background. With its college scholarship program, the nonprofit organization assists students in their efforts to reach their educational goals and their aspirations to become leaders of tomorrow.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Tri-State Area
For over 20 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Tri-State Area has been creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Their signature programs include scholarships to help provide access to a college education for students who need and earn it, and community grants to support a variety of local children's charities in the areas of medicine, crisis intervention, civic and social services, education, and the arts. The organization also provides generous support to 5 Ronald McDonald Houses, which are "homes away from home" keeping families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need. For more information, please visit www.rmhcnytristate.org or contact 732-623-8639.

CONTACT:
RMHC NY Tri-State Area, c/o Irving Street
Brian Clark
973-643-6262
[email protected]

SOURCE Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area