The virtual NJ PBS Gala Benefit will be broadcast on Wednesday, June 2 at 7 p.m., and will honor community leaders and organizations that are helping New Jersey maneuver through the COVID-19 pandemic and grow its future.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges throughout the country and the world. Its impact on New Jersey is palatable to those of us who live here, changing the way we do business, go to school, care for our loved ones and entertain ourselves. During dark times, those that think and act beyond themselves to focus on the greater good and find solutions shine brightly.

The hour-long NJ PBS Gala Benefit, airing on Wednesday, June 2 at 7 p.m. on NJ PBS (check local listings) and livestreaming, will be hosted by the network’s former news anchor Mary Alice Williams and will honor the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to the Garden State:

• BD, which has led the expansion of testing for the coronavirus and delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations in New Jersey and around the world
• The Community Food Bank of New Jersey, which has provided services to the rising number of food-insecure Garden State residents
• Dr. Shereef Elnahal, who has led University Hospital in Newark through the challenges of being one of the first affected by the COVID-19 crisis
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, a leader in testing, healthcare and vaccinations, and helping its members manage routine medical care
• Kimberly Dickstein Hughes, State Teacher of the Year in 2020, who hosted our Learning Live project which brought classroom learning into the homes of hundreds of thousands of New Jersey school children
• Ørsted, a sustainable clean energy leader for New Jersey and an important source of economic growth throughout the pandemic

“This year’s honorees have provided creative and responsive leadership for New Jersey throughout the last year and helped forge a path forward for us all,” said NJ PBS Board Chair Scott Kobler. “We are proud to have them as neighbors and community members and look forward to sharing their part of the story during our broadcast event.”

2021 NJ PBS Gala Benefit Honorees Dr. Shereef Elnahal (L) and educator Kimberly Dickstein Hughes (R).

The Gala Benefit is a tradition for New Jersey’s public media network and a major fundraiser for the nonprofit organization. Proceeds from the event will support the mission of the network to provide New Jersey and its neighbors with statewide news, programming and special events.

To make a contribution to support this mission, visit the NJ PBS Gala Benefit site, mynjpbs.org/gala2021.

Support for the 2021 NJ PBS Gala Benefit is provided by RWJBarnabas Health, NJM Insurance Group, Bank of America, BD, Prudential Financial, PSEG, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, The Ocean Wind Project, McCarter & English, LLP, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, Atlantic Health System, Caucus Educational Corporation, Josh Weston, Dick and Kayla Pechter, Bernie and Ann Flynn, and Governor Thomas H. Kean.