Photo Flash: Celebrities and Philanthropists Join The DREAM Project Annual Benefit in New York City

The DREAM Project united New York's most prominent philanthropists, Latino leaders, and celebrities at their annual benefit to change the lives of thousands of children and young adults in the Dominican Republic. The DREAM Project's Sixth Annual NYC Benefit, Sueños 2018, took place at The Italian Academy at Columbia University.

This exclusive event, organized by event planner to the stars Kathy Romero, kicked off with a special VIP reading by Junot Díaz, followed by the main event, headlined by this year's awards. The evening entertainment was highlighted by the first US performance by the DREAM Bachata Academy Band, followed by the croonings of bachata diva Andre Veloz who put everyone to dance.

Attendees included Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz who received the DREAMer of the Year award, and was joined by no other than the Principal of The American Ballet Theatre Misty Copeland, Educators of the Year Actor and Head Start Ambassador Taye Diggs with artist and writer Shane Evans, "School of Rock" Star Brandon Niederauer, style guru and film director Carlos Lamarche and Lia Rossis Miss RD US 2017. In addition, Beachwold Residential was awarded Corporate DREAMer of the Year for the contribution and emphasis they have placed on education in the Dominican Republic.

"The Sueños Benefit has become a bridge between thousands of disadvantaged youth in the Dominican Republic and our global DREAM community here in NYC. There are so many motivated supporters, just looking for a way to give back. DREAMs innovative solutions for improving education provide that and the benefit is the one night a year we all come together to celebrate that vision," said Jonathan Wunderlich, Director of Development at DREAM.

"I was in the Montessori preschool at DREAM first, then Summer Camps every year and the Music Program. Now, my dream is to be a professional musician, but graduating from high school comes first. I wasn't nervous on the plane, but it was my first time. We are used to performing, so that was fun. The cold was OK too, I just can't believe all the moto taxis here have 4 wheels!," said Adriel, a student at the DREAM Bachata Academy.

All proceeds from the event will go directly towards DREAM's early childhood development, at-risk youth and workforce development programs, impacting more than 8,000 Dominican youth in 27 different communities.

This year's sponsors that made this night possible and are committed to help DREAM create change and end the cycle of poverty in the Dominican Republic, include: UBS, JetBlue, Fast Enterprises, The RC22 Foundation, Brugal, Dominican Republic Tourism, the Latino Network Coalition, Beachwold Residential, and Univision 41 Nueva York.

To learn more about The DREAM Project or make donations visit: http://www.dominicandream.org/suenos

About The DREAM Project: The Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (DREAM) Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that focuses on early childhood education, high quality primary education, holistic youth development, and arts, culture and community enrichment. Their groundwork was laid in 1995 when a group of Dartmouth students came down for a semester to volunteer in public schools in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Today, DREAM helps more than 8,000 youth receive a better education in 27 different communities. For more information visit www.dominicandream.org.

Photos by Nana Annan Photography.