*The CAW staff, Teaching Artists, Youth Apprentices, program participants, and Board Members who made the 2026 Benefit a huge success*

*CAW Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur*

Thank you to everyone who supported our Annual Benefit for Kids. It was a banner night!

The energy in the Savoy Club-GM Building was electric as more than 500 guests mingled to the sound of live jazz while enjoying cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Leading sponsors enjoyed exceptional wines and champagne donated from the personal collection of Neil & Bari Goldmacher during the VIP cocktail hour before the main event.

*Youth apprentices acting as docents to their art*

More than 30 youth apprentices and high school students were on hand to act as docents in our youth art gallery, sparking engaging conversations with guests. The gallery included paintings, sculptures, videos, graphic art, mixed media, and character designs. You can view it all here.

Our two artmaking projects offered attendees a chance to roll up their sleeves and get creative. We invited our guests to share their own perspectives, and we got a lot of heartfelt and inspiring answers.

We are grateful to our wonderful honorees: John C. McGinley, COO of Global Real Estate & Head of the Americas, JPMorgan Chase; Bill Hill, President, BAC Local 7, Marble, Tile & Terrazzo; Joseph P. Romano, CEO, JRM Construction Management; and our Program Partner Honoree, Carol Sun, Youth Workforce Development Specialist, Manhattan Early College Academy for Marketing & Media.

*Guests making art at one of two artmaking stations*

We are thrilled to announce that we raised a record-breaking $1.5 million through the generosity of our corporate and individual donors. This tremendous achievement will empower CAW to deliver transformative creative youth development opportunities to thousands of young New Yorkers.

To get a more expansive view of the evening, we invite you to check out the photo galleries, watch the recap video or sizzle reel, or read the Benefit Journal. Just keep scrolling…