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By Kelly Haight
Brooklyn Daily
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum awarded three of its major contributors, created an “indoor marketplace,” and showcased Brooklyn businesses on Wednesday night’s gala, themed, “Ignite the Imagination.”
Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education Dennis M. Walcott, award-winning author and illustrator Javaka Steptoe, and Fairway Market president William E. Sanford were celebrated at gala — held at Three-Sixty in Manhattan — for their many contributions to the museum, children, and community at the gala.
“These three men have worked alongside institutions like ours to be able to really have a deep-rooted connection to what they do and the community, and it mirrors the principles that the museum stands for,” said Rhea Smith, spokeswoman for the museum.
She said the gala helped the museum reach its fund-raising goals, and with the funds and the continued work of the honorees, and others like them, they can further help “enable children to imagine a better life for their family, a better education and a better world.”
Fox 5 New York anchor Dari Alexander hosted the gala as master of ceremonies, and the event showcased an “indoor marketplace” that featured several local businesses, including Pine Ridge Vineyards, Fairway Market, Bareburger, Dinosaur BBQ and Golden Krust Bakery, among many others.
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum encourages the importance of children using their imaginations for positive growth and change for a better tomorrow, which Walcott, Steptoe, and Sanford have all strived for in their work, said Smith.
The museum celebrated 114 years of education leadership, environmental stewardship, and community building.