Ft. Lauderdale Leaders Come Together to Help Raise Funds for HBCUs and Area Students at the 18th Annual UNCF Leader's Luncheon

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host its 18th annual leader's luncheon Dec. 7 at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Benefiting HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) and their students, UNCF is changing the narrative of HBCUs across the nation by equipping African American and other students of color with the resources necessary to successfully navigate college, and ultimately, the workforce. Close to 2,000 people will attend the luncheon, including: Dale V.C. Holness, vice mayor, Broward County; Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, interim president, Florida Memorial University; and keynote speaker Matt Caldwell, president and CEO, Florida Panthers.

With the help of the Ft. Lauderdale community, $347,459 was awarded last year in scholarships and programs for UNCF's Florida member institutions and area students. With the release of UNCF's landmark study, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs contribute $14.8 billion collectively to the American economy. In particular, UNCF-member institution Florida Memorial University annually contributes $93 million to the total economic impact and 747 jobs to the state of Florida.

"Events, such as the Ft. Lauderdale Leadership Luncheon, stress the importance of HBCUs," said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. "HBCUs not only provide a college education for 300,000 students every year, but they are a powerful economic engine: locally, through the jobs they create and the expenditures they make in the cities where they are located; and nationally, through the students they educate and prepare for an information-age workforce."

The UNCF Leaders' Luncheon program will include performances by the Dillard High School Jazz Ensemble and a student testimonial from Lalibela Faraba, a Kevin Hart-supported Help from the Hart scholar and freshman at Florida Memorial University.

The Ft. Lauderdale Leader's Luncheon is co-chaired by John M. Camillo, president and CEO, Yellow Cab of Broward County, and Dale V.C. Holness, vice mayor, Broward County. Luncheon sponsors include AT&T, Wells Fargo, Florida Panthers Foundation.

Follow this event @UNCF #UNCFFt.Lauderdale

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About UNCF

UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 17 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ?A mind is a terrible thing to waste."® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNCF.

SOURCE United Negro College Fund