Half-Million Dollars Raised for New Yorkers In Need
(NEW YORK, NY) (November 22, 2019) – The Salvation Army of Greater New York ushered in its peak fundraising season on Friday, November 22, 2019 with its 72nd Annual Gala Concert featuring Grammy Award winner Gloria Gaynor (Best Disco Recording I Will Survive).
For the first time, the organization held this momentous holiday fundraiser at its own 1,347-seat auditorium in Chelsea, which was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in October of 2017.
The evening’s event, hosted by Inside Edition’s Megan Alexander, marked the official beginning of The Salvation Army’s iconic red kettle campaign in New York City, where the organization has been serving without discrimination for 139 years. The theme for this year’s gala, “Transforming Lives,” encapsulated the organization’s goal in its work with the community, emphasizing its work combatting human trafficking and homelessness.
Accepting The Salvation Army’s Pinnacle of Achievement Award was Robert C. Doll of Nuveen Asset Management. Doll is well known in the finance community for his expert portfolio management and in the faith community for his focus on giving back.
The audience was thrilled when Gloria Gaynor took to the stage to perform alongside The Salvation Army’s youth band and choir, performing songs from her new album Testimony. The grand finale came as Gaynor sang I Will Survive as a message of hope to those struggling through adversity, the very people that The Salvation Army serves each and every day.
Gloria Gaynor shared, “When you offer a chance for survival to someone else, you are offering them life. There can’t be anything better for you to do than to be a part of an organization that offers the chance for survival to your fellow man. The Salvation Army is a wonderful organization that services people from every walk of life with things that they need, when they need it, as they need it, with no strings attached.”
The Salvation Army of Greater New York raised a half-million dollars through their gala and hopes to raise an additional two million dollars in the Greater New York area with its annual red kettle campaign. “Kettle donations support the many programs and services we provide throughout the year,” said Lt. Colonel Ricardo Fernandez, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army of Greater New York, “You are a vital part of our community. We ask you all to please give generously so we can continue the important work of transforming lives!”
Giving is easy this holiday season: The Salvation Army accepts ApplePay and GooglePay at all its iconic red kettles, you can ask Alexa to make a donation at home, text GIVENYC to 41444, or head to salvationarmyny.org/give.
ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY GREATER NEW YORK DIVISION:
An integral part of the Greater New York community for 139 years, The Salvation Army in Greater New York operates a vast network of community and social-service programs that serve hundreds of thousands of people each year throughout New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley.
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 139 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.
For more information: 212.337.7200