Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala

The Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala is held at the Cipriani in New York City. Sesame Workshop hosts the evening as a fundraising event, and to honor outstanding individuals around the world who have contributed to education.

2003, 35th Anniversary

Date - June 4, 2003
Host - Katie Couric
Honored - Kofi Annan and his wife Nane Annan
Attendees - Elmo, Tony Bennett, Zeliboba, Pino, Abelardo Montoya, Kami, Big Bird, Mike Renzi, John Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney, Glenn Close, Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado, Sonia Manzano, Loretta Long, Roscoe Orman, Fran Brill as Zoe, John Tartaglia as Ernie, Carmen Osbahr as Rosita and Paul McGinnis as Grover and Oscar the Grouch.

2004

Date - Jun 02, 2004
Host - Diane Sawyer
Honored - Desmond Tutu
Attendees - Oprah Winfrey, Kami, Zuzu, Zikwe, Matt Lauer and Annette Lauer, Tina Brown and Harry Evans, George Stephanopoulos and talk show host Ali Wentworth, Cynthia McFadden and Deborah Roberts, Martha Stewart, Maria Bartiromo, Lesley Stahl and author Aaron Latham, actress Carol Kane, Heather Headley, artist Peter Max, Bob Kerrey (New School President and head of 9/11 Commission), publisher Mort Zuckerman and Judge Kimba Wood.
Links - sesameworkshop.org

2005

Date - June 1, 2005
Host - Barbara Walters
Honored - Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan and Stan O’Neal (Chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc.) "for creating educational opportunities around the globe."
Attendees - Vanessa Williams, Tonton, and New York Post gossip journalist Liz Smith.
Links - Sesame Workshop Press Release

2006

Date - May 31, 2006
Host - Matt Lauer
Honored - Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, for her commitment to reducing poverty, malnutrition and disease, and protecting children from abuse and violence, and Alan C. “Ace” Greenberg, Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., for his work in helping children better cope with trauma and uncertainty.
Attendees - Lillias White, Hoots the Owl, Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney), Zoe (Fran Brill), Cookie Monster, Elmo (Kevin Clash), Ernie and Bert, Grover (Eric Jacobson), Rosita (Carmen Osbahr), and Kami, Michael Bloomberg, Joan Ganz Cooney, Gary Knell.
Links - Sesame Workshop Press Release

2007

Date - May 30, 2007
Host - Matt Lauer
Honored - Laura Bush and James E. Rohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., "for PNC's 10-year, $100 million investment to improve access and quality of early childhood education to benefit children and communities."
Attendees - Jenna Bush and Barbara Bush, Brian Stokes Mitchell
Links - Press Pre-Release, Sesame Workshop Press Release

2008

Date - May 28, 2008
Host - Anderson Cooper
Honored - Richard Parsons (Chairman, Time Warner Inc.) with a Corporate Leadership Award, for his funding of Galli Galli Sim Sim, and Susan and Michael Dell with a Global Leadership Award.
Attendees - Nitya Vidyasagar, Grover, Chamki, Soledad O'Brien, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Gary E. Knell.
Links - sesameworkshop.org

2009, 40th Anniversary

Date - May 27, 2009
Host - Brian Williams
Honored - NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Attendees - President Barack Obama (via pre-recorded video), Sheryl Crow, Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, Bianna Golodryga, Joel Schumacher, Kate Snow, Joan Cooney, Lloyd Morriset, Paula Zahn, Roscoe Orman
Links - Sesame Workshop announcement, Sesame Workshop coverage

2010

Date - June 2, 2010
Host - Robin Roberts
Honored - Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden
Attendees - General George Casey and wife, Jean Chatzky, John Legend, Martha Raddatz, Joel Schumacher, Christine Teigen, Deborah Roberts, Bob Woodruff

Snuffy attended the event for the first time.

2011

Date - June 1, 2011
Host - Deborah Roberts
Honored - Charles MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children and Merck, accepted by Richard T. Clark, Chairman of the Board
Attendees - Joan Ganz Cooney, Cheryl Henson, Gary Knell, Joel Schumacher, George Stephanopoulos, Paula Zahn

Elvis Costello performed "Alison" with Kami, Telly Monster, Abby Cadabby, Grover and Cookie Monster. Stephanie D'Abruzzo served as announcer for the proceedings.

Cookie Monster was quoted as: "Cookie is a sometime food and vegetables is an everything food, so me just eat three centerpieces. But me hope cookies for dessert!" The centerpieces were made of yellow peppers and green apples.^[1]