Literacy Partners held its 29th annual Evening of Readings and Gala Dinner Dance on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at Cipriani 42nd Street. The event, which raised more than $1 million to end illiteracy among adults in New York City, honored News Corp’s Chief Executive, Robert Thomson. Best-selling novelist, Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE, received the venerated Lizzie Award in honor of her many dedicated years to Literacy Partners’ mission. The award is given to individuals who exemplify Liz Smith’s passion for the written word and her commitment to improving the lives of those who cannot read or write. See video of their presentations below:
The evening kicked off with a rousing performance by nine-time Tony Award® winner Tommy Tune that only he could deliver.
The evening also included powerful readings from television journalist Tom Brokaw, who read a passage from his forthcoming memoir, “A Lucky Life Interrupted,” and actress Ali Wentworth, who read a passage from her forthcoming book, “Happily Ali After.” See Ali Wentworth’s comedic take on life with children:
The highlight of the evening was hearing from Literacy Partners student Matthew Brown who shared his powerful story of overcoming adversity and achieving his goals of learning to read and write. After reading his personal essay, Brown brought the house down with his moving rendition of Frank Sinatra’s classic, “My Way.” See it below: