State Sen. Martin Looney and LEAP director Henry Fernandez.
The following writeup was submitted by LEAP Communications Coordinator Tristin Reeder.
Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) celebrated a major milestone on February 26, 2026, marking the 31st anniversary of its signature “LEAP Year Event.”
Held at the Dixwell Community Q House, the fundraiser was an astounding success, raising more than $600,000 to support free programming for the city’s children, teens, and young adults participating in LEAP Programs.
The evening opened with a vibrant reception featuring live music and refreshments. Guests were served by student volunteers from the Hopkins School Black Student Union alongside a dedicated group of LEAP Junior and Senior Counselors.
LEAP Executive Director Henry Fernandez welcomed the reception attendees, emphasizing that local support for New Haven’s youth is more critical now than ever because of severe federal funding cuts amounting to 20 percent of LEAP’s $7 million budget.
LEAP’s Alumni speaker was University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Chancellor Thomas Gibson, who shared about how LEAP put him on his path to leadership. LEAP Board Chair and LEAP alumni Tai Richardson introduced Christina Parrales, who spoke about the program’s life-changing experience as a current counselor.
The reception culminated in the presentation of the LEAP Community Leadership Awards to Senator Martin Looney and New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Madeline Negrón. The awards, presented by Board Member Deborah Stanley-McAuley and VP of Leadership and Learning Summer Choate Lewis, recognized the honorees’ dedication to the New Haven community.
Following the reception, the event transitioned into its dinners, with attendees fanning out to 28 locations across the city for intimate meals hosted by prominent Guests of Honor. This year’s dinner lineup included a guided tour through the Yale Art Gallery with Art Director Stephanie Wiles and Curator Michèl Wije, Documentarian Rachel Dretzin and how she navigates award-winning documentaries, Doctor-Chef Nate Woods, Director of Culinary Medicine at Yale; Jonathan Fanton, former President of the MacArthur Foundation and President Emeritus of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Emmy Nominated film maker Peter J. Scalettar as he discussed his documentary Starting Five, James Forman Jr., Ariane Lewis, and Ray Boyd of Yale Law School’s Law and Racial Justice Center as they envisioned projects that advance racial justice right here in New Haven, Yale astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli who explored the universe’s giants: supermassive black holes.
“I really felt a part of the conversation, and the guests were equally engaged,” said one attendee. “The hosts were incredibly kind and welcoming and provided a delicious dinner and dessert.”
The $600,000+ raised will have a profound impact on LEAP’s ability to serve over 2,000 youth annually. These resources fund a wide range of essential services, from phonics and literacy development to college tours and swimming lessons for our youth programs.
The success of the 31st anniversary was made possible through the support of key sponsors, including Noble Wealth Advisors of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Roger Ibbotson, The George Ellis Company with David Moulton, Joann Thompson & Robert Alvine, Roz & Jerry Meyer, Julie Wilson, and many more. Their contributions, alongside the generosity of hosts, guests of honor, and ticket holders, ensure that LEAP remains a safe, transformative space for New Haven’s next generation.
Hosts Gary and Deborah Desier welcome guests to their home.
John Fabian Witt speaks with dinner guests.
