American Indian College Fund Celebrates 30 Years of Service to Native Americans Pursuing Higher Education

Denver, Colo., April 18, 2019 - The American Indian College Fund is celebrating the 30th anniversary of providing access to a higher education for Native Americans. In honor the anniversary, the College Fund will host the Flame of Hope Gala on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, in New York City from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Headline entertainment will be by Brooke Simpson.

The College Fund will honor Kimberly Blanchard, a world-renowned international tax attorney and partner in the tax department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP based in New York, for impacting the lives of nearly 1,000 Native Americans in education by funding 500 student scholarships and contributing to the professional development of 400 tribal college and university faculty members. Blanchard has also served on the College Fund's Board of Trustees for the past nine years.

Singer Brooke Simpson is a Native American singer who is passionate about both her art and people. Perhaps known as a finalist on NBC's The Voice program, Brooke released the singles 2am, which charted on the iTunes pop chart, and her most recent, Perfect, now available.

Event tickets are available for purchase at http://www.collegefund.org/gala. Cocktail or traditional Native American attire is requested. For additional information about sponsorship or the event, please contact Kim Williams at 303-426-8900 or kwilliams@collegefund.org.

The Flame of Hope Gala is made possible by the following generous sponsors:

• AT&T- $50,000

• Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP – $30,000

• Walmart Foundation – $25,000

• Ford Motor Company –$20,000

• UPS Foundation – $10,000

• Wells Fargo Bank - $10,000

• FedEx Corporation - $10,000

• Amergent - $10,000

• Veradata - $10,000

• Coca-Cola Foundation - $10,000

• McDonald's Corporation - $10,000

• CBS Corporation - $10,000

• Vladimir Jones - $10,000

• Lannan Foundation - $10,000

• Wieden+Kennedy - $7,000

• United Health Foundation - $5,000

About the American Indian College Fund-Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for 30 years. The College Fund believes "Education is the answer" and provided 5,896 scholarships last year totaling $7.65 million to American Indian students, with more than 131,000 scholarships and community support totaling over $200 million since its inception. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation's 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation's top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit http://www.collegefund.org.