Bedford Park’s Lehman College hosted its annual gala and fundraiser on Wednesday, June 12, though this year it took on another moniker, the “Spring Fling.” The change in name was to make the event feel less “stuffy,” according to Lehman College President Dr. Fernando Delgado. This is the second year that the college has held an annual gala dedicated to raising money for scholarship funds and other facets of college life that require funding.

 

Previous galas have been held at Bedford Park’s New York Botanical Garden on Southern Boulevard. This year’s gala honored two guests, Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s Corporation, and managing partner and chief investment officer of Standard General, and The Hon. Letitia A. James, New York attorney general and proud alum of Lehman College’s Class of ‘82.

 

The event, much like the president hoped, was indeed more informal than in previous years and in different ways. Rather than sitting down to eat while listening to various speeches, guests were invited to move around, help themselves to food and refreshments and mingle with other partygoers.

 

“What better way to show donors what we give to our students?” said Rene Rotolo, CFO and vice president for administration and finance, in reference to the change of venue. “What better way to introduce donors to our students, to see where they’re actually studying, where they’re learning,” Rotolo added.

 

The precise venue for the event was a luscious green quad in the center of the college campus next to the Arts building, which was decked out with crisp white tables under white umbrellas and centered around a stage in preparation for the second change to this year’s gala: “Lehman’s Got Talent.”

 

Students of diverse backgrounds, who had auditioned and rehearsed ahead of the event according to Kelly Brown, one of the organizers of the event, were welcomed to the stage to perform choreographed dances, songs, and the like for the guests.

 

“They started out as video auditions and then they were pulled down to live auditions and several rehearsals,” said Brown. “We had a committee that got to vet each of the students. We were just thrilled with the depth of talent.”

Beyond the performances, the garden party also sought to represent some of the most prominent cultures from across The Bronx, another way of highlighting the diverse backgrounds of the student body. Three vendors from the borough were invited to cater the event: Arthur Avenue, Golden Krust (Lehman College alums), and Salsa.

 

Putting together the event was months long work, according to several of the organizers, including Delgado. They said it typically takes about four to six months to plan the finer details of the event completely. However, the president said the primary event organizers start planning the next gala two weeks after the last one ends.

 

“We try to identify who [are] going to be our honorees,” the president said. “We work with the [college’s] foundation to make sure they’re comfortable with the concept, the targets, and the goals……obviously lock in a date. We start going out to our key donors and community, and business partners and start, if you will, selling tables.”

 

The need for fundraising events like the gala was highlighted by Delgado, especially considering the increase in the cost of living in New York City. Following a survey conducted by a specialized center in Manhattan, the president said, “Twenty-eight percent of our students report experiencing food insecurity at least one day a week during the school year.”

 

He added, “So, that’s a quarter of our students, 14% of the time, having food insecurity. The number is probably higher in terms of frequency of days. It may not be in terms of percentage of students [but] it’s still a pretty high percentage.”

 

“We’re constantly cognizant about the support, financial and otherwise, that we can provide our students and trying to anticipate those things that make it difficult for them to persist,” Delgado continued.

 

He said the driving force behind each year’s gala is to ensure that despite the daily stresses that come with increased cost of living and food insecurity, college does not become an unattainable goal for students, financially.

 

James was later ceremoniously introduced by emcee Dr. Joseph Fera before taking to the stage to “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. The attorney general noted that despite her statewide successes, which include the Juul settlement and legislation restricting the use of social media algorithms that target minors, her roots are in The Bronx and at Lehman College.

 

The Juul campaign settlement represents $27 million to combat youth vaping and stems from a lawsuit against the e-cigarette giant, Juul. “It was right here in The Bronx, taking the D train where I found my calling,” she said. “It was here [at Lehman College] where my passion for social justice was nurtured. [Lehman] brought out that warrior in me and it brings out the greatness in all of you.”

 

Back at the Spring Fling, the attorney general dubbed Lehman College the “university of opportunity” and an anchor for the community, and called for students attending Lehman, as well as Lehman alums, to advocate and strive for change, calling on them to “defend those rights and defend them now.” James concluded, “It’s you. It’s all of you who can transform their lives and this community.”

 

*Miriam Quiñones contributed to this story.