2020 Excellence in Education awards - buffalo news

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THE 2020 EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS CELEBRATION OF BUFFALO EDUCATORS  HAS MOVED FROM AN  IN-PERSON EVENT TO TELEVISION

     2020 Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony

     Sunday, June 14th at 8:00 pm

     WBBZ-ME/TV (Channels 67 & 5)

     After-Party

     Sunday, June 14th at 9:00 pm

     Power 96.5 FM  & 1080 AM 

Important  Ceremony Update 

In response to COVID-19 pandemic, Friends for a Better Buffalo Education Committee remained strong and was determined to find new avenues to host the 2020 Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony.  

Educators, Administrative Staff and Residents across the City of Buffalo contacted us through countless emails and phone calls empathetic about  postponement of the program.  Our staff continued to call each other daily and conduct weekly ZOOM meetings to search for new avenues to continue with a exciting program....not allowing the coronavirus to alter the spirit or the mission of Friends for a Better Buffalo.   

Today, we are happy to announce that Friends for a Better Buffalo has partnered with WBBZ-TV ME/TV to showcase the first-of-its-kind televised educators award ceremony which will reach tens-of-thousands of Western New York households.

Mark the date of June 14th on your calendars and get your 'Watch Parties' ready for an award show honoring teachers, support staff and building administrators in the City of Buffalo, New York - hundreds of names have been submitted and the finalists for the 2020 Excellence in Education Awards are set and the celebration is ready to go on. 

Due to COVID-19 and the need to continue social-distancing, the Awards celebration, that was scheduled to be in-person at Roswell Park’s Hohn Auditorium and serve as a kickoff to Teacher Appreciation Week, was postponed in early April. However, with support of the Western New York Community, the hotly-anticipated Excellence in Education Awards celebration will now air as a television special on WBBZ-TV on Sunday, June 14th at 8pm. The event will recognize and reward some of the best Buffalo teachers, support staff and administrators and will air across eight (8) counties throughout Western New York, while streaming simultaneously on Facebook Live. 

Along with the After Party, aired on Power 96.5 FM -1080 AM, both events will host finalists, announcement of 2020 winners, award-winning entertainers, and special guest appearances. 

Friends for A Better Buffalo, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization that consists of Buffalo and Western New York residents, is committed to creating and promoting positive events that highlight and strengthen the community. 

Friends For A Better Buffalo Founder and President, Terrance L. Heard, says, “During this unprecedented time across the world, where educators had to adapt quickly to teaching virtually rather than in person, we are excited to announce the opportunity to salute and celebrate teachers, support staff, and administrators, our unsung heroes in Buffalo public, private, and charter schools.” For the past few months, the organization has introduced a social media campaign on their Facebook Page Excellence in Education Awards Buffalo that featured select Buffalo educators who made an impact in Buffalo education history during Black History month and Women History month. 

During April there was a focus on Buffalo High Schools and alumni. Starting in May and leading up to the June 14, 2020 television and online event, Award finalists will be featured on the Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceinEducationBuffalo/ Heard adds, "It is our privilege to recognize the 2020 Excellence In Education Award Finalists’ commitment to Buffalo and Western New York and to celebrate them for being an unyielding force for our students and the community.” 

The Excellence in Education Awards event is made possible by the support of Western New York organizations which include, but not limited to: Buffalo Teachers Federation, G-HEALTH/GBAUGHN (Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, WUFO Power 96.5FM/1080AM, the Challenger Community Newspaper, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, National Grid, Five-Star Bank, and The Oakk Room. This is a partial list of community supporters. The committee is appreciative that additional organizations have shown an interest and therefore they are looking forward to releasing an expanded list of  sponsors and supporters.  

Friends are people who love, care and help one another. Friends for a Better Buffalo (F.F.A.B.B.), a 501(c)3 organization, has captured these sentiments and made it our mission!  Friends aim to unite businesses, non-profit organizations, corporations, governmental leaders and concerned citizens for the purpose of uplifting our community and presenting various charitable events throughout the year. Our projects and events are designed to shed light on our community unsung heroes, businesses and organizations that perform charitable good works and humanitarian efforts. FFABB strive to unite different organizations and people that have common goals so that ideas and dreams won’t be lost, but can be achieved by assisting one another regardless of race, gender, religion and socioeconomic status. That’s what friends do!