Pam Gregory, Princeton-Blairstown Center
On Sept. 30, Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) hosted its second annual Soirée Under the Stars gala at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton. The event raised more than $50,000 for PBC, and more specifically our Summer Bridge Program, which addresses the “summer learning gap” for at-risk youth.
PBC Participant, Mehki J., an eighth grader from Trenton, spoke about his experience during the Summer Bridge Program and won the crowd over with his description of his time at the Blairstown Campus.
The culminating event of the evening was presenting the Frank Broderick Award to Dr. William A. Massey, the Edwin S. Wilsey Professor in the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University. The Frank Broderick Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to social justice, compassion, and selflessness — qualities that supported Dr. Broderick in his courageous efforts to achieve racial integration of PBC’s predecessor organization, the Princeton Summer Camp, and to mobilize those who advocated for racial integration of Princeton University in the 1940s.
PBC seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable young people through integrated experiential and adventure-based programming in schools and at our outdoor campus. We collaborate with schools, university partners, and community-based agencies to develop in youth a deepened self-awareness, responsible decision-making, teamwork, and leadership skills. Our volunteers strive for a future in which young people exhibit personal resilience and compassion, embrace expanded possibilities for their lives, and enact positive change within their communities and the world.
We would like to thank the 140 guests who came out in support of the work we do for vulnerable youth.
Thanks to our Benefit Committee: Minda and William Alena; Barbara and Fred Borsch; Victoria and Tim Bridges; Anita and Larry Chevres; Jill Dolan and Stacy Wolf; Denise H. Frederickson; Jane Fremon; Mr. and Mrs. Jotham Johnson; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Kaemmerlen; David Palladino; Angelica and Jason Pedraza; Nurit Pegrish and Scott Levy; Kay and Ev Pinneo; Peter T. Smith; and Linda and Ken Twining.
Special thanks to our benefit co-chairs, Christina Bailey and Praveena Joseph-de Saram, for all their hard work and leadership surrounding this very successful event.
Pam Gregory
President and CEO
Princeton-Blairstown Center
