Old Westbury resident Michael Katz was honored recently at a Jewish Child Care Association event. More than 325 people attended the Celebration of Hope: A Cocktail Reception to Benefit Children and Families at the elegant Pierre Hotel to honor Katz, a longtime JCCA Trustee. The event raised $920,000 to support vulnerable and at-risk youth who JCCA serves. Katie Jacobs of Christie’s Auction House conducted the auction, which raised $123,000.
Katz is a Senior Partner at Sterling Equities, a family business that has interests in real estate and the New York Mets. The Old Westbury resident has been involved with JCCA for 25 years and has chaired and participated in many committees such as investments, budget, audit and strategic planning. He serves on numerous charitable Boards and is a Board member of the New York Mets. He is a Certified Public Accountant, who graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting. He also graduated from Baruch College with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, with a major in Computer Science.
A highlight of the evening was a speech by Kimberly, a young woman who was a victim of commercial sexual exploitation who attended JCCA’s specialized Gateways program. She said, “The staff never gave up on me. They said, ‘you are priceless.’ So I decided to not give up on myself. Today, I am a beautiful, strong woman despite what I have experienced. I am a proud high school graduate, a licensed cosmetologist and an advocate against the sexual exploitation of children and domestic trafficking. I am living proof that change can happen!”
