(Black PR Wire) SEATTLE – The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle will host its ‘22nd Annual Breakfast: Era of Essential Service’ at the Westin hotel in Seattle on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

The Annual Breakfast is a celebration of the organization’s essential programming and services it provides to the community in the focus areas of health, housing, entrepreneurship, advocacy, education, and workforce development. The 2023 event will also include a special emphasis on honoring Black women in the community who have fearlessly dedicated their lives to uplift and empower others.

Last year’s special guest was former NBA legend, philanthropist, and businessman Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, who helped the Urban League produce the largest event the Westin hosted post-pandemic at the time with over 1300 people in attendance. This year the organization will be joined by Trevor Noah as the event keynote.

Trevor Noah is one of the most successful comedians in the world and was the host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central for seven years. Under Trevor, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” broke free from the restraints of a 30-minute linear show, producing engaging social content, award-winning digital series, podcasts and more for its global audience.  Last year, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” landed a record number of seven Emmy Award nominations. His previous special, “Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia” received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety Show, as well as a Grammy Award nomination.

“Our Annual Breakfast has become a treasured Seattle tradition to celebrate and reconfirm the collaborative commitment to empowering communities and changing lives in the Pacific Northwest. The event also serves as a celebration of the impact of our donors, constituents, volunteers, friends, stakeholders, as well as our corporate and institutional partners to our mission, ” says Michelle Merriweather, President & CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. “Magic was the perfect voice in the room while we celebrated Coach Lenny Wilkens, Mr. Noah’s tribute to Black women during his exit from the Daily Show not only sparked our desire to double down on our celebration, but we also knew he was the perfect person to join us in honoring the work of Black women in our region. I am thrilled he is taking time out of his schedule to join us.”

The Annual Breakfast will also serve as an opportunity for the Urban League to award and honor local community trailblazers for their service to our community. In alignment with the event’s central theme, this year’s slate of honorees comprises an impressive list of Black women well-known to the Seattle area, including local philanthropic arts activist and consultant, Vivian Phillips, who will receive the organization’s Legacy award; former CEO of Byrd Barr Place, Andrea Caupain, who will receive the President’s award; and community leader and change maker, Detective Denise ‘Cookie’ Bouldin, who will receive the Urban League’s Community Coalition award. The Urban League’s prestigious Edwin T. Pratt award recipient has yet to be announced.

In 2022, the Urban League’s annual breakfast raised just over $500,000. This year, with the support of major corporate partners and foundations like Amazon, Alaska Airlines, JP Morgan Chase & Co, US Bank, and the Schultz Family Foundation, the organization has set a goal to raise $1 million dollars to continue its essential programming for the year ahead – the largest fundraising goal for the event since its conception.

“The funding received by the Annual Breakfast from our generous partners paves the way for us to become innovative with our programming and services,” says Maya Manus, Chief Impact Officer of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. “This ensures the social and emotional wellbeing for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities within our region. With this support, ULMS continues to be on the frontlines, serving the farthest from access towards self-sufficiency and prosperity.”

Registration for the annual breakfast will open to the public in early September. In the meantime, sponsorship opportunities for local partners and community funders are available on the Urban League’s website via urbanleague.org/22nd-annual-breakfast.

About the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle: 

The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) serves as an architect of change with a mission of empowering those they serve by providing programming and services designed to support and encourage self-sufficiency in all aspects of life. With a vision of equity for all, the ULMS six areas of focus include advocacy & civic engagement, education, housing, public health, entrepreneurship support, and workforce development.

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