Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels Honored with 2014 Garden of Dreams Hero Award

The Garden of Dreams Foundation announced today that legendary artist and Garden of Dreams Foundation board member, Darryl McDaniels, is the recipient of the 2014 Garden of Dreams Hero Award. Established in 2009, the Hero Award honors one person or organization annually that embodies the spirit of the Garden of Dreams Foundation through an active and ongoing dedication to positively impacting the lives of children facing obstacles, while serving as a driving force and inspiration for others.

Darryl exemplifies these values with his extraordinary commitment to several children's organizations including the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which he joined in 2010. Darryl's tireless involvement in a number of the Foundation's programs has created joy for hundreds of children. This includes his important contribution to one of the Foundation's signature events -- the Garden of Dreams Talent Show. In 2012, after taking part in the show in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Darryl was named the show's Creative Director and since then has participated in numerous auditions and rehearsals, inspiring hundreds of talented children to pursue their dreams.

"We are honored to present the 2014 Hero Award to Darryl, who exemplifies what the Garden of Dreams stands for with his enthusiastic dedication to brightening the lives of children," said Hank Ratner, Chairman of the Board, Garden of Dreams Foundation. "The Garden of Dreams Talent Show is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the more than 100 children that participate and as the Creative Director of the Talent Show, Darryl motivates and supports children facing enormous obstacles to live their dream of performing on the Great Stage at Radio City. His personal commitment to Garden of Dreams is an inspiration to us all and we thank him for being such an outstanding representative for the Foundation."

Past recipients of the Garden of Dreams Hero Award include New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, tennis legend Andre Agassi and Rangers great Adam Graves.

"I am honored to have been chosen to receive the Garden of Dreams Hero Award," said McDaniels. "But this really isn't about me; it's about the kids who inspire me each and every day. I am lucky to be able to work one-on-one with such talented, strong individuals. I can't wait to see the incredible performances at this year's show and look forward to another remarkable and uplifting evening."

Since its inception in 2006, Garden of Dreams has worked closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, to create thousands of unique and memorable experiences, including 500 events in the past year alone, to brighten the lives of more than 250,000 tri-state area children and their families.

Garden of Dreams strives to be heroic, inspirational and unforgettable - all attributes of the children the Foundation has had the privilege to meet over the course of its history. Partnering with a diverse collection of outstanding children's related organizations, including hospitals, foster organizations, homeless shelters and "wish" organizations, the Garden of Dreams Foundation has a singular goal each and every day - to utilize the power and magic of The Madison Square Garden Company and its properties to bring joy and happiness to children facing obstacles - whether they relate to illness, homelessness, poverty, foster care issues or tragedy.

The 2014 Garden of Dreams Hero Award will be presented to McDaniels at the Talent Show on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at Radio City Music Hall. This year's Talent Show will feature more than 100 children from 14 Garden of Dreams partner organizations. For one memorable evening in front of their family and friends, the children, ages 6-18, will perform with emotion and passion, forgetting their problems and celebrating their unique voices and talents.

For more information on the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the programs it run, and the children it serves, please visit www.GardenofDreamsFoundation.org.