Chess in the Schools to Host 30th Anniversary Benefit

Chess in the Schools, the nonprofit educational organization empowering New York City's inner-city students through chess,will host its 30th Anniversary Benefit Celebration Monday, May 8 at Guastavino's (409 E 59th Street, NYC).

Hosted by NY1 News anchor Cheryl Wills, the evening will honor Maurice Ashley, the first African-American chess Grandmaster and Chess in the SchoolsBoard of Advisors member with the Lewis B. Cullman Award for Excellence. Recognized for their advocacy will be City Council Speaker Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito as a Public Service Champion; and Tracy Walsh, Principal of PS 48, as an Education Champion. Joel Yoffie, the longest-serving Chess in the Schools instructor, will receive a special honor at the Benefit Celebration.

In addition to the honorees listed above, the evening celebrates three decades of life-changing mentorship by Chess in the Schools instructors and administrators, and the hundreds of thousands of New York City public schools students whose lives have been touched by the organization. The 30th Anniversary Benefit Celebration will feature performances and appearances by special guests to be announced at a later date.

"I'm so proud to be a part of this incredible, life-changing organization as we celebrate this milestone," says Chess in the Schools President & CEO, Debbie Eastburn. "It is our privilege to honor Maurice Ashley, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Tracy Walsh and Joel Yoffiefor theiradvocacy and leadership. Our dynamic educators, forward-thinking Board, generous donors, committed city officials, wonderful staff, and so many other supportive partners have made it possible for this one-of-kind organization to reach our city's inner city schools, inspiring and empowering our students for three decades."

Tickets to the event are now on sale to the general public. For tickets and more information, CLICK HERE.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

Maurice AshLEY (Cullman Award for Excellence), the first African-American International Grandmaster, is also a national championship chess coach, world-class commentator, tournament organizer, author, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor, and public speaker. Mr. Ashley grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, New York, and has toured the world - from Ferguson, MO to Cape Town, South Africa - speaking about the character-building effects of chess. His book, Chess for Success, expresses his vision of the many benefits of chess, particularly for at-risk youth, and he speaks frequently at universities, businesses, chess clubs, and nonprofit organizations around the globe. Mr. Ashley is also known for his work commentating on the world's biggest chess events, including the World Chess Championships, the US Chess Championships, the Grand Chess Tour, and the legendary Man vs. Machine matches between Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue. He is the co-organizer of the Millionaire Chess Open, the highest stakes Open chess tournament in history. His app, "Learn Chess! With Maurice Ashley," has been sold in over 30 countries, and he has received multiple community service awards from city governments, universities, and community groups for his work. In recognition for his immense contribution to the game, Maurice was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame on April 13, 2016.

HON. MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO (Public Service Champion) serves as the Speaker of the New York City Council and is the first Puerto Rican and Latina to hold citywide office. She represents the 8th Council District, which includes El Barrio/East Harlem and the South Bronx. Speaker Mark-Viverito was unanimously elected to serve as New York City Council Speaker in January 2014. As Speaker, she has focused on transparency in government and policies that generate socioeconomic opportunity and combat systemic inequality. Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and raised in San Juan, she worked for over a decade in local activism, nonprofit organizations and grassroots labor organizing before being elected to the City Council in 2005. Before becoming Speaker, she served as founding co-chair of the New York City Council Progressive Caucus, and also chaired the City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation.

Cheryl Wills (Event Host) is a veteran anchor for Spectrum News NY1 - she joined the broadcasting network during its launch in 1992 and this year she is celebrating her 25th anniversary with the national news team. The award-winning journalist is the author of three books about her great-great-great grandfather Sandy Wills who fought in The Civil War: Die Free: A Heroic Family Tale, an illustrated children's book The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills and a YA book Emancipated: My Family's Fight for Freedom. Cheryl has interviewed some of the most powerful people in the world including The First Woman President of Africa: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Cheryl's groundbreaking report earned her a prestigious medal from United Nations Correspondents Association. She also scored an exclusive interview with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Cheryl's personal favorite was going one-on-one with the late great writer and activist Maya Angelou. Cheryl has received awards from The New York Press Club, Newswomen's Club of NY Front Page Award, and The Associated Press. The celebrated author of Lightswitch Learning's book series has traveled the world to report on society's most pressing issues and worked with more than 15,000 students in over 120 schools nationally. In 2017, The Association of Social Studies Teachers / UFT awarded Cheryl Wills The Rosa Parks Award for Social Justice for "illuminating the struggle for Black equality from The Civil War to present." In 2017, Cheryl also received the DR. Martin Luther King Award from three prominent Jewish organizations at The Israeli Consulate for bridging the gap between African Americans and Jews. Cheryl is also the recipient of The YMCA National Black Achievers in Industry Award, The Carl T. Rowan Leadership in Media Award and, in 2010, McDonald's honored her as a broadcasting legend. In 2015 McDonald's again honored her with the first ever, Harold Dow Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of extraordinary and unparalleled contributions to broadcast media.

CHESS IN THE SCHOOLS is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving academic performance and building self-esteem among inner-city public school children. Since 1986, Chess in the Schools has taught, inspired, and empowered more than 500,000 students in low-income New York City public schools. Through structured classroom, after-school, weekend, and summer programs, we use chess as an educational tool to promote learning and to help young people develop skills in critical thinking and problem solving. Chess in the Schools alumni will be analytic thinkers, motivated learners, and critical problem solvers; think before they move; take pride in their accomplishments; and be graceful winners AND losers. For more information, visit www.ChessInTheSchools.org.