Urban Tech To Honor 'Cat' Producer Byrd on June 4th

The National Urban Technology Center (Urban Tech) will honor outstanding community leaders Dr. Mehmet Oz and Stephen C. Byrd at the 2008 Urban Tech fundraising gala.  The event will be held on Wednesday, June 4th at Capitale. 

"We are proud to honor Dr. Oz and Stephen Byrd for their work to improve communities and inspire young people across the United States," said Patricia Bransford, Founder and President of Urban Tech.  "These amazing individuals help young students recognize that with education, all is possible and that they too can make a difference in their communities, the nation and the world," she adds. 

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a world-renowned heart surgeon, is best known for his contributions to the "Oprah Winfrey Show," Discovery Health, and CNN.  He is a practicing Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Columbia University, performing over 100 operations per year and has written over 350 publications.  His dedication to the medical field has expanded from hospitals into disadvantaged communities, teaching youth how to apply healthy living choices and demonstrating the importance of nutrition and exercise.  

 Stephen C. Byrd is the producer of the first all-African American production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."  With a background in investment banking, Mr. Byrd has over 27 years of experience on Wall Street.  The sensational run of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," starring James Earl Jones and Terrence Howard, has garnered sold-out audiences and rave reviews causing Mr. Byrd to make future plans for a multiracial version of "A Streecar Named Desire."  He has supported the National Urban Technology Center and its efforts to engage the hardest to reach students for several years.

The 2008 Corporate Leadership Award will be presented to The Wachovia Corporation for their work to improve financial literacy in underprivileged communities. 

Proceeds from the fundraising event will go to Urban Tech programs in over 600 schools and community-based organizations across the United States including 70 New York City public schools that promote academic excellence, healthy living, financial literacy and community leadership.  Last year's record-breaking gala was attended by over 300 people and generated over $600,000 for Urban Tech programs.  Urban Tech has a long history of working with disadvantaged communities across the nation to provide educational options for youth by giving them the academic and technological tools they need to be successful.

Urban Tech was founded in 1995 by Patricia Bransford to give urban communities access to technology and improve educational and economic opportunity for America's disadvantaged youth. Urban Tech teaches life skills, academic and computer literacy to at risk youth by leveraging cutting edge learning technology centers across the country. To make this possible two major programs have been created, Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) and SeedTech, which ramps up installations of computer centers and computer training for teachers. "It is important that we reach our at-risk youth early in their educational training and build critical life skills needed for graduation and post-secondary education and employment," says Pat Bransford, Founder and President of Urban Tech.