The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health celebrated its 30th annual SportsBall Gala, the Black Tie & Sneakers event, on Oct. 17, gathering community leaders, honorees and supporters at Manhattan’s Pierre Hotel to spotlight the East Flatbush organization’s mission for health equity.
Emmy Award-winning journalist and philanthropist Cathleen Trigg-Jones hosted the event, joined on stage by Dr. Marilyn Fraser, the Institute’s chief executive officer, and Brett Wright, the chairman of the Board. Together, they shared the organization’s strides toward advancing community health and discussed its future vision.
The evening honored three health leaders with the Arthur Ashe Institute Leadership Award: Thomas Halloran, CEO of Fidelis Care; Amir Bassiri, Medicaid director of New York State’s Health Insurance Programs; and Dr. Jason Lazar, Vice Dean for Education and Chair of Medical Education at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Each awardee shared personal insights into their partnership with the Institute and the importance of collaboration between healthcare, government, and educational institutions to address systemic health disparities.
The spotlight also turned to the Institute’s impact at the grassroots level, with Trigg-Jones introducing Jerome Archer of Platinum Cuts Inc. and Elaine Richards of Royal Ambiance Salon. Both were lauded as instrumental partners in the Institute’s community outreach programs, promoting health awareness to Brooklyn residents through their trusted roles.
Two alumni of the Institute’s Health Science Academy (HSA), Roudjessie Charles and Dr. Joshua McHugh, joined the stage to discuss the program’s influence on their lives. Charles, a 2017 HSA graduate, is now a manager at the Health Science Academy, while Dr. McHugh, a 2002 alumnus, has become a physician. Trigg-Jones highlighted their successes as proof of the Institute’s lasting impact on young community members and future health professionals.
New York Giants legend Ottis Anderson led the evening’s auction, followed by the United States Tennis Association’s presentation of a scholarship — honoring the year Arthur Ashe won the U.S. Open — to two recent HSA graduates. Megan Vanzie, who studies Health Science at Howard University, and Kareem Bhaim, a Pre-Engineering student at Providence College, each received the $1,968 scholarship.
Guests received complimentary Reebok sneakers along with products from Clinique, Miss Jessie’s Natural Hair Products, LoMar Farms and FitBiomics.
Founded on Dec. 3, 1992 by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, the Brooklyn-based Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health was created to address deep-rooted health disparities in urban communities.
In the final months of his life, Ashe, a prominent advocate for public health, announced the Institute’s establishment as a response to the alarming rates of preventable disease in multi-ethnic neighborhoods. Recognizing that barriers to healthcare went beyond access issues, Ashe emphasized the importance of early detection and culturally sensitive health education.
Today, more than 30 years later, the Institute remains steadfast in this mission, using community outreach, education, and advocacy to bring equitable healthcare and preventive resources to underserved populations in Brooklyn and other urban areas.
