Ad Council’s #APowerForaChange Raises $4.5 Million at the 63rd Annual Public Service Dinner

On November 16, over 1400 of the Ad Council supporters gathered at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City to show support to the organization and its 40 national public service campaigns.

The event, which raised a record $4.5 million, was hosted by James Corden and included a special live performance from singer and activist Sheryl Crow.

Lisa Sherman, CEO of the Ad Council addressed the crowd by thanking them for their support.  “In a world that’s dark, it’s up to us to bring light,” Sherman stated, focusing on the night’s theme: #APowerForAChange.

This year’s dinner was chaired by Margo Georgiadis, President, Americas of Google and Chair of the Ad Council’s Board of Directors.

“When we take action together, we are inseparable,” said Georgiadis.  She added that we have the ability to make the most important issues become a movement by becoming a catalyst for change.

The dinner honored CEO of Adobe Shantanu Narayen , who was presented with the 2016 Public Service Award in recognition of his philanthropic work and public service contributions through the Adobe Foundation.

Adobe’s top priorities to create positive change include investing in programs to drive greater workforce diversity and inclusion; supporting the next generation of creatives and coders; powering Adobe’s operations and digital delivery of products with 100 percent renewable electricity; enabling Adobe customers to save natural resources through use of its digital products; and operating from a foundation of integrity and ethical conduct, according to the press release by the Ad Council.

“This year’s dinner was a wonderful celebration of all that our industry does for social good,” said Sherman, in a press release, recapping the event. “We were thrilled to have James Corden and Sheryl Crow celebrate with us, and it was especially meaningful to have appearances from a few of those who have been personally impacted by our campaigns.”

The real stars of the evening were the PSA participants. This included Lizzie Valasquez, an anti-bullying activist who stars in the Ad Council’s “I Am A Witness” bullying prevention campaign, the Henderson-Strong family featured in the iconic “Love Has No Labels” PSA launched last year, and Jocelyn Esparza from the High School Equivalency campaign.