Photo Coverage: The Friar's Foundation Honors Connie Francis and Leonard A. Wilf at Applause Award Gala

Yesterday, June 6, the Friars Club Foundation honored legendary singer Connie Francis and philanthropist Leonard A. Wilf at their annual Applause Award Gala. Tony Orlando, Neil Sedaka, the cast of BABY IT'S YOU and Jay Black were among the evening's performers. BroadwayWorld brings you coverage of the event below.

The Friars National Association Foundation was formed in 1977. It was founded by Buddy Howe who was then the Dean of the Friars Club. The Friars foundation is a publicly-supported foundation, whose function is to review and evaluate grant requests and to award grants in the name of the Friars. The Foundation is the conduit through which the Friars accomplish one of its major goals: The betterment of our society, particularly in the area of the perfoirming arts. To achieve this objective, 75% of its grants are made for students' scholarship in the Performing Arts and to small Performing Arts groups. The remaining 25% of its grants are made to organizations helping the less fortunate.