On Wednesday, March 4,The Children’s Defense Fund-New York held its annual Beat the Odds Awards Gala at The Pierre, honoring five New York high school seniors who have overcome extraordinary hardships to achieve academic success with $10,000 college scholarships.

Cicely Tyson, Kenneth Cole & Maria Cuomo Cole, The New York Giants’ Victor Cruz, Zak DeOssie and Jay Bromley, Craig Cogut (Pegasus Captial Adviors), Ron Blaylock (GenNx360 Capital Partners), Scout Willis, Liam McKessar, Madison Utendahl and chef Alexander Smalls (Minton’s, The Cecil) were among the notables in attendance to recognize the students’ achievements. Cruz, Blaylock and Stephen Sadove were saluted for their contributions to child advocacy, and Chris Nee received a special award, recognizing her work creating the hit Disney Junior television show, Doc McStuffins. WCBS-TV anchor Maurice DuBois and Malaak Compton-Rock co-hosted the gala. Alexander Smalls, Restaurateur and Executive Chef of Minton’s and The Cecil, served as the Celebrity Chef. Seth Bernstein and CDF board member Deborah Cogut served as the gala’s co-chairs, while 2014 honoree Vicki Fuller was the event’s honorary chair.

For twenty-five years the CDF Beat the Odds program has changed the lives of hundreds of youths across the country who have persevered despite family breakdown, homelessness, parental incarceration, drug and alcohol addiction, neglect and abuse.

Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, honored in January by Oprah Winfrey as one of the “Legends Who Paved the Way” as part of celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma march, said: “We are proud to celebrate these exceptional youths we have come to know through our CDF-New York Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program. They are proof that with the help of one caring adult, hard work and determination, it is possible to overcome great adversity and succeed.”