jennifer_holliday_web.jpgFORT LAUDERDALE — “An Evening of Jazz, a Conversation with Jennifer Holliday,” held Thursday, March 15 at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale raised $80,000 that will benefit the United Negro College Fund’s John W. Ruffin Jr. Scholarship and UNCF’s Campaign for Emergency Student Aid.

Event co-chairs George Hanbury, president and CEO of Nova Southeastern University, and Henry Lewis, president, Florida Memorial University, attended to welcome guests who included state Rep. Hazelle Rogers, Hon. Tyson Jones, Lauderhill Commissioner M. Margaret Bates and Willowstine Lawson, Broward representative for Sen. Bill Nelson.

Jennifer Holliday, the two-time Grammy Award winning recording artist and Tony Award winning Broadway star of the smash hit musical Dreamgirls, performed the heart-wrenching torch-song ballad, And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going, to the delight of guests gathered in the Marks Gallery for an interview and her astonishing performance. Guest also enjoyed the special appearance by local jazz artist Jon Saxx.

The UNCF John W. Ruffin Jr.  Endowed Scholarship has been established to help low-income minority students attending Florida Memorial University and the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University.  Ruffin serves as a trustee at both institutions. A portion of the proceeds also support the UNCF Campaign for Emergency Student Aid, a special campaign launched in 2009 to help recession-impacted students at risk of having to interrupt their studies and delay their degrees due to unpaid tuition balances, textbook needs and room and board fees.

Sponsors included: AutoNation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, D. Stephenson Construction, Inc., Baptist Health South Florida, Bryant Miller Olive, Paradies Shops Fort Lauderdale, John and Dorothy Ruffin, UGL Services, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care and others.

For information about UNCF South Florida, call 954-527-3315.

Photo: COURTESY OF UNCF

Jennifer Holliday