Date: Mar 01, 2007

HEMPSTEAD FOR HOFSTRA/HOFSTRA FOR HEMPSTEAD TO HOST 33RD ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BALL

HEMPSTEAD FOR HOFSTRA/HOFSTRA FOR HEMPSTEAD TO HOST 33RD ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BALL

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - The 33rd Annual Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead Scholarship Ball, which raises money to help Village of Hempstead students attend Hofstra University, will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2007 from 6-8 p.m. in the Main Dining Room of the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center, North Campus.

Scholarship money raised from this annual event has helped hundreds of Hempstead students pursue their higher education goals at Hofstra. The 2006 Testimonial Scholarship Ball raised nearly $50,000 for Hofstra scholarships for Hempstead students.

The Scholarship Ball committee also presents the Unispan Award to individuals for their community work. The award, named for the original pedestrian bridge over Hempstead Turnpike that unites Hofstra's north and south campuses, symbolizes the close ties between the University and the Village of Hempstead. This year's Unispan Award recipients will be:

Mark A. Bonilla - Mr. Bonilla is the town clerk for the Town of Hempstead and in 2003 became the first Hispanic ever elected to town-wide office. A first generation Puerto Rican American, he is the seventh of eight children and the first in his family to obtain a college degree and a postgraduate (law) degree. He is active with the Seaford Wellness Council, Knights of Columbus and Kiwanis Club and is a baseball and manager/coach with the North Merrick Little League, Police Athletic League and Catholic Youth Organization for baseball and basketball. .

Frederick Brewington - Mr. Brewington is a respected attorney and community advocate with a distinguished legal career. With his expertise in civil rights litigation, he has successfully challenged the 'at large' voting system in the Town of Hempstead and worked on preventing future unconstitutional and discriminatory purging of voters from the voting roll. In January, Mr. Brewington received the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta at the opening of an international peace exhibit at Hofstra.

Florence Galloway - Retired principal of the Hempstead School District's Early Childhood Program, Mrs. Galloway served the district for 36 years. She was a teacher at Marshall Street Primary School for 21 years before being named coordinator of the district's pre-k program and later became principal of the newly formed Early Childhood Program.

Joseph Wing - Det. Lt. Wing was instrumental in forming the Long Island Street Gang Task Force, made up of federal, state, county and village law enforcement agencies.   He joined the Village of Hempstead Police Department in 1981 and is now commanding officer of its Investigative Unit. He received a B.A. in sociology from Hofstra in 1980 and a J.D. from Hofstra Law School in 1991.

To make a reservation for the Scholarship Ball or to donate to the scholarship fund, please call 516-463-6636.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students find their edge to succeed in more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 23 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence, cutting edge technology, extensive library resources, internships and special educational programs that appeal to their interests and abilities.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.