Gus Kenworthy And Alia Shawkat To Be Honored By Point Foundation

Annual Point Honors New York Gala, April 8, Recognizes Influential Figures and Celebrates the Accomplishments of LGBTQ Students

News provided by

Point Foundation

Mar 20, 2019, 16:52 ET

NEW YORK, March 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Point Foundation will honor Gus Kenworthy and Alia Shawkat at the annual Point Honors gala in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza on April 8, 2019. Kenworthy, a Sochi Winter Olympics Silver Medalist and current world champion freeskier, will receive the Point Leadership Award, which is presented to an individual who has achieved prominence in their professional career and unequivocally supports the LGBTQ community. Shawkat, best known for her role as Maeby Fünke in the critically acclaimed series "Arrested Development," will receive the Point Horizon Award. The award recognizes a young person who has taken a leadership role as an advocate for the LGBTQ community.

Additional celebrity participation to be announced soon. Past honorees have included Ronan Farrow, Robin Roberts, Andy Cohen, Wanda Sykes, and Uzo Aduba.

"As individuals who use their voices in constant support of the LGBTQ community, Gus Kenworthy and Alia Shawkat demonstrate the vigorous dedication to equality that is so often exemplified by the work of our Point Foundation scholarship recipients," said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. "Gus and Alia have each shown a natural capacity to confront ignorance and lead with wit, compassion, and a commitment to excellence in all they do. We are fortunate to be able to recognize their accomplishments at Point Honors."

Point Foundation is the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit. Some of Point's 97 current scholarship recipients and 270 alumni will be present at the event to share their inspiring stories about how they have overcome challenges to get their higher education degrees.

For more information and tickets, please visit pointfoundation.org/HonorsNY19.

Honorary Chair: Todd Sears
Presenting Sponsors: Cadillac, Wells Fargo
Premier Sponsor: Hilton, WarnerMedia
Principal Sponsors: Chubb, David Henry Jacobs, Janssen Infectious Diseases, Merrill Lynch Bank of America Corporation
Friend of Point: American Airlines
National Media Sponsor: The Advocate
Voice of Goddess: Valerie Smaldone

About Point Foundation: Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society. Point Foundation promotes change through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training. www.pointfoundation.org | #PointHonors

Media Contact:
Jessica Rozycki, Point Foundation,
(212) 512-8577, [email protected]

SOURCE Point Foundation