Media
craigslist Founder to be Honored at 12th Annual IAVA Heroes Gala
NEW YORK, NY (March 21, 2018) – Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is excited to announce the 2018 Civilian Leadership Award Honoree for the 12th Annual IAVA Heroes Gala on November 8, 2018 in New York. The 2018 IAVA Heroes Gala will be held just three days before Veterans Day at the Classic Car Club at Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 in New York City, a new venue that embodies the modern, innovative IAVA brand.
IAVA is proud to announce IAVA Board Member and Founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Craig Newmark, will receive the 2018 IAVA Civilian Leadership Award. Newmark created Craig Newmark Philanthropies in 2016 to promote investment in organizations that effectively serve their communities and drive broad civic engagement at the grassroots level. He is a stalwart supporter of IAVA and its mission.
“Craig Newmark is one of the most prolific leaders in the philanthropic world, and we are honored to recognize his incredible dedication to the veterans community,” said Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and CEO of IAVA. “Craig embodies the IAVA mission and all that is great about American ingenuity and service to country. He is a true patriot, an inspirational voice and a role model for people worldwide. We are honored to have an opportunity to salute Craig on behalf of the IAVA community and all Americans.”
Over the past twelve years, the Heroes Gala has empowered IAVA to support post 9/11 veterans by raising millions of dollars for the best-in-class advocacy programs and transition support services provided nationwide to over one million veterans. The 12th Annual IAVA Heroes Gala will be an incredible night of patriotism, inspiration and service and a highlight of the fall social calendar.
Past honorees and distinguished guests have come from across the military, business, sports, entertainment and politics and include: Stephen Colbert, Admiral Mike Mullen, Jon Stewart, Peter G. Peterson, Retired General David Petraeus, Miss USA Deshauna Barber, Joan Ganz Cooney, Henry Kissinger, Julian Bond, Roger Waters, David Gelbaum, Arnold Fisher, Senator Tammy Duckworth; Medal of Honor Recipient Sal Guinta, Willie Geist, Michael Bloomberg, Wes Moore, J.R. Martinez, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Bill Hemmer, Rachel Maddow, Leslie Gelb, Coach Bill Cowher, Peter Berg, Nora Jones, Marc Roberge and OAR, Bob Woodruff, Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe, Harry Carson, Katie Nolan, Michelle Monaghan, Sebastian Junger, Bob Woodruff, Bob McDonald, Flo Groberg and many more.
Additional special guests, honorees and sponsors will be announced in the coming months. Past IAVA Heroes Gala sponsors have included: Fox Sports 1, Barbaricum, Reingold Inc, Vencore, Hero Clean, Heritage Strategies Inc, Western Asset Management, CNN, MSNBC, DC Group, PBC USA, JP Morgan, Greg D’Alba, John Buoymaster, HBO, Emergent BioSolutions, and many others.
Sponsorship packages and tickets are available to the 12th Annual IAVA Heroes Gala online or contact IAVA at heroesgala@iava.org.