Press Release: Paint the Town Red Gala 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2025

City Year New York Celebrates National Service at “Paint the Town Red” 2025 Spring Gala

New York, NY – Nearly 400 business and community leaders across New York City gathered Thursday evening at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers to celebrate City Year New York’s “Paint the Town Red” 2025 Spring Gala. Attendees experienced an unforgettable night filled with live music, specialty cocktails, dinner, and giveaways, all in support of the thousands of students across New York that City Year helps to succeed.

The gala raised well over half a million dollars, which will directly support City Year New York’s work with 140 AmeriCorps members serving in 17 schools across the city.

“This generosity translates directly into expanded programming and deeper impact for the students who need it most,” said Annie Kessler, City Year New York’s Executive Director. “When our community invests like this, we’re collectively telling our students, ‘We’re committed to your success.’” 

The gala honored Alice Kwan, Principal at Deloitte Consulting and dedicated City Year New York Advisory Board Member since 2018, as the 2025 Honoree in recognition of her exceptional leadership in advancing national service initiatives. Throughout her board tenure, Kwan has championed City Year’s mission through strategic guidance and hands-on volunteer work, including launching the Deloitte mentorship and a Career Catalyzer programs for City Year AmeriCorps members. Alice has recently joined City Year’s national Board of Trustees.

“Now more than ever, what these AmeriCorps members do in classrooms to help students succeed is one of the most important things a person can work on to contribute broadly to society,” said Alice Kwan. “In this great, diverse city of New York, the difference in resources a school receives is vastly different. No child should be deprived of a great education because of the zip code they live in.”

The evening featured NYC’s Liftoff Brass Band, testimonials from current City Year AmeriCorps members who shared stories of student breakthroughs and personal growth. Mara Gonzalez, who serves at P.S. 83 in East Harlem, spoke about how their own experience with a City Year student success coach as a struggling NYC student transformed their academic performance. This inspired them to become an AmeriCorps member as well, with aspirations to continue their educational impact as a paraprofessional.

As Mara put it in a recent national ad campaign airing on NBCUniversal, “You fall in love with the kids, you fall in love with your work.” The Paint the Town Red gala was a testament to the hundreds of AmeriCorps members serving with City Year New York who have fallen in love with their work and to the thousands more who will proudly fall in love with service thanks to our school partners and generous supporters.  

This year’s gala gold sponsor was the law firm Ropes & Gray, one of City Year New York’s committed partners that provide the organization with paralegal and business support roles and job opportunities for AmeriCorps alums. Support for the annual spring gala will empower over 6,000 students across New York City to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically, empowering them to make a lasting impact on young people and build a brighter future for generations to come. 

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About City Year New York

City Year is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization aiming to challenge the educational status quo with tenacity, passion, and empathy through national service. At City Year New York, student success coaches have been serving across 17 community schools to create learning environments where young people can fulfill their potential and make an impact.

EXT_CYNY 2025 Gala Press Release