Bill Cosby To MC Minority Scholarship Gala

NEW YORK - The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) Annual Awards Dinner honors Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ingrid Saunders Jones and Joseph R. Perella, Monday, March 7, 2011. Presenting its 2011 “ROBIE Awards”, the dinner pays tribute to those who embody the humanitarian ideals of Jackie Robinson and have helped raise money for the Foundation.

Established in 1973, JRF is the nation’s premiere education and development program, providing four-year college scholarships, graduate school grants and extensive mentoring to academically distinguished minority students with financial need and records of leadership capacity.

The gala will pay tribute to: Sean “Diddy” Combs (Chief Executive Officer, Bad Boy Entertainment Group) Ingrid Saunders Jones (Senior Vice President, Global Community Connections, The Coca-Cola Company) Joseph R. Perella (Founding Partner, Chairman and CEO of Perella Weinberg Partners).

Introducing the nominees are Russell Simmons (Founder, Def Jam Records), Ray McGuire (Head of Global Investment Banking, Citi) and Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts III (Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church). Rachel Robinson (Founder, The Jackie Robinson Foundation) and all aforementioned individuals will walk the red carpet.

The event takes place at New York City's Waldorf Astoria, beginning at 6:00