Colm Kelleher accepts the Founder’s Award.
Left to right: Peter Flanigan (SSP Founder), Jerry Wood (SSP Board Member), Colm Kelleher, and Jim Healy (SSP Board Chairman).

The Pierre Hotel was buzzing with excitement on Thursday night as 620 guests– both longtime SSP supporters and people new to the organization– came out to celebrate Student Sponsor Partners, its students, and its generous supporters at SSP’s Thirteenth Annual Founder’s Dinner.

This year’s hugely successful dinner honored Colm Kelleher, a Co-President at Morgan Stanley. Mr. Kelleher is a member of the SSP Chairman’s Council and has been a major supporter of Student Sponsor Partners for a number of years. In addition to receiving the Founder’s Award, many of Mr. Kelleher’s colleagues from Morgan Stanley honored him by generously supporting and attending the dinner. Overall the dinner raised $2.1 million, and we thank everyone who so generously contributed.

The evening’s program included a medley of songs from the Cardinal Hayes High School Chorus, including a tribute to Mr. Kelleher: “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.” Jerry Wood, SSP Board Member and a colleague of Mr. Kelleher’s at Morgan Stanley, MC’d the evening and introduced the three speakers: Jim Healy, SSP’s Chairman of the Board; Crystal Valentine, SSP Senior at St. Raymond Academy; and Henry Flores, 1997 SSP graduates of All Hallows High School. All spoke of the transformative power SSP can have on an inner-city student’s life, and all recognized the 620 guests as making a positive impact on young New Yorkers’ lives.

Student Sponsor Partners thanks everyone who made the Thirteenth Annual Founder’s Dinner such a huge success!

Colm Kelleher with SSP students at the Thirteenth Annual Founder’s Dinner.

2012 Founder’s Dinner Program / Contributors List

Check back for a photo album from the evening and links to the three dinner speeches.