The We Are Family Foundation awarded hip-hop artist LL Cool J and The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey for their philanthropic contributions to young adults at its 2018 Gala.
Also in attendance were Parkland teens Ariana Ali, Sarah Chadwick, Jack Macleod, and Morgan Williams. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher Melissa Falkowski accompanied the teenagers. She hid 19 students in a closet during the February 14 tragedy.
Hammerstein Ballroom, WAFF Celebration Gala. (photo-Maggie Chirdo)
The gala took place at Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom last night, and included speeches by WAFF Co-Founder and Chairman Nile Rodgers, President Nancy Hunt, and Executive Director Jess Teutonico. Motivational Speaker Ilyasa Shabazz and WAFF Global Teen Leaders also spoke.
The Honorees
“It is about sowing seeds into the future,” said LL Cool J, whose annual charity “Jump & Ball” provides teens and children in Queens with a five week athletic and team-building program. As for being a WAFF Humanitarian Award recipient, he remarked, “You got to let it go to your heart, not your head.”
Roger Daltrey felt honored and amazed by the young adults he met through WAFF and during his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust. His U.K.-based organization creates spaces for teenagers fighting cancer, who often feel isolated from their peers during hospital stays.
Roger Daltrey, performing “Who Are You”, 2018. (photo-Maggie Chirdo)
Daltrey received the Mattie J. T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award. Named in honor of the late 13-year-old poet and peacemaker, it has been previously received by President Jimmy Carter, Maya Angelou, and others. “I looked it all up on the internet and I was astonished…at her strength,” mentioned Daltrey, referring to Mattie’s mother Jeni, who honors his legacy through the Mattie J. T. Stepanek Foundation.
Jeni tuned in via video-screen to thank the foundation and gala attendees for their continued support for Mattie’s vision of world peace, as well as congratulating this year’s honorees. WAFF, in its first 17 years, has funded young entrepreneurs and problem-solvers from around the continent.
LL Cool J, “Momma Said Knock You Out”, 2018. (photo-Maggie Chirdo)
After the honorees spoke, WAFF Global Teen Leaders welcomed the Parkland teens into their “global family”. During interviews beforehand, Macleod and Chadwick spoke about how foundations like WAFF elevate the voices of teens calling for change. Williams discussed her youth activism, and Ali mentioned how surreal it was to be in New York for the event. They have started movements such as Students for Change, #StoriesUntoldUS, and “March for Our Lives”.
Other attendees
Like many of the adults in attendance, Grandmaster Flash was excited to hear from the teenagers for once. “I need to see this, because the children are our future. It’s our responsibility to instill knowledge in them….we need to pass the torch.” LL Cool J thanked Grandmaster Flash in his acceptance speech for his guidance when he was getting started in hip-hop.
Tony Award-winning actor Ben Vereen admitted, “We’re [adults] not doing a very good job right now, so foundations like this are very important. We must unite to save our world. Young people…can make a difference.”
Right: Jack Macleod, Melissa Falkowski, Ariana Ali, Morgan Williams, Sarah Chadwick, 2018. (photo-Maggie Chirdo)
Music for Peace
The night ended in joint concert, as Roger Daltrey and LL Cool J joined Chic on stage. As they set up, WAFF asked guests to pledge by texting their name and a dollar amount. WAFF Executive Director Jess Teutonico then took time to thank those who contributed to the evening, including Bulova Watch Company.
The group played The Who’s “Teenage Wasteland”, LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” and Nile Rodger’s “We Are Family”, which gave WAFF its name. Attendees swayed and fist-pumped to the unique variety of music. Before departing, Daltrey and LL Cool J thanked the crowd again.
