Ja Rule, Doug E. Fresh and Doug’s partner Dr. Olajide Williams were honored at Pencil of Promise’s 15th annual gala for their social change and health literacy efforts.
The hip-hop stars attended the special ceremony, held at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom earlier this week. Ja Rule was the recipient of PoP’s Audacious Award, which recognizes “disruptors and advocates of social change.” Doug E. Fresh and Dr. Williams, the recipients of the Transformation Award, were recognized for their philanthropic work with Hip Hop Public Health.
Ja Rule’s passion for fighting social injustices and advocating for underserved children and communities prompted his L.I.F.E. foundation — short for Love Ignites Freedom and Education — to support marginalized youth through art, poetry, music and sports.
In 2006, Doug E. Fresh and Dr. Williams founded HHPH, a nonprofit that offers resources and community-focused programs to help improve health literacy in historically marginalized areas.
The annual gala auction offered exclusives, like an hour in the studio with Doug E. Fresh and a golf experience with Ja Rule, who donated $50,000 of the education-focused organization’s $1.2 million raised.
CEO Kailee Scales closed the night by sharing DREAMS UNFOLD: The Pencils of Promise Adventure, a children’s book written to commemorate PoP’s 15 years, followed by an anniversary video including Lil Jon and other PoP family.
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