New York, NY (Tuesday, June 29, 2004): A warm reception was held to welcome the sponsorship program, “Say Yes to Education” and its founder George Weiss to New York. The organization has helped over 400 inner-city students in Philadelphia, Hartford and Cambridge realize their potential to go to college and are expanding to Harlem in September.

The evening, which brought out 200 of New York’s luminaries, was hosted by WB11 News Anchor Jim Watkins and his wife Lauren Thierry, Sabina Forbes II, Lulu de Kwiatkowski, IvyWise founder and college admissions expert Dr. Katherine Cohen, Caryn and Craig Effron and Allison and Debbie Weiss at the beautiful Upper East Side home of Cathy and Mark Lasry.

Among the guests sipping Champagne Veuve Clicquot and nibbling the Marjorie Wolfson’s delicious hors d’oeuvres included Anne Jones, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Alexandra Lind Rose, Felicia Taylor, CeCe Cord, Georgia and Charles Kaufmann, Harry and Laura Slatkin, shoebag designer Tinuola, Gustavo Arango, Greg Sovell, Alice Judelson, Say Yes to Education’s Executive Driector, Dr. Norman Newberg, President of Columbia Teachers College Darlyne Baily, Edwin Gould Services for Children’s Linda Argila, Rev. Joseph Watkins and Rachel Flax. Members of the financial community came out in full support including executives from Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Avenue Financial.

George Weiss proudly announced, “ We are coming to Harlem.” Columbia Teachers College has partnered with Say Yes to Education. Harlem Hospital will offer the students free medical care. The mentoring and support to the children and their families are a continued effort from kindergarten through paying for their college education.

A fund manager with offices in New York and Hartford, George Weiss who loves children, began mentoring inner-city youngsters while he was an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. He vowed to continue making a difference and after building a successful career, he pursued his dream. In 1987, Say Yes to Education became a reality when Weiss promised 112 sixth graders from one of Philadelphia’s toughest neighborhoods that if they made it through high school, he would pay for their college education.

Say Yes to Education is committed to awarding last-dollar scholarships for post-secondary education on the condition that the students graduate from high school and is bringing the promise to 400 at-risk kindergartners in five Harlem schools.