Step Up Raises $400,000 for Mentorship at Power Hour

It was an evening of fundraising, inspiration and fun as mentorship nonprofit Step Up raised over $400,000 (a 90% increase over 2016's event) at the 6th annual Power Hour presented by the Coach Foundation on Thursday, October 26, 2017, at the Harvard Club of New York.

NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino (chairman, advertising sales & client partnerships) was honored and TODAY's Hoda Kotb offered heartfelt remarks to the crowd that included actress Garcelle Beauvais. Kotb was noticeably choked up when speaking of Linda's mentorship and friendship, though laughed it off as exhaustion due to being a mom to a young daughter!

Chaired by Susan Aminoff (WPP Health & Wellness) and Hilary Smith (NBCUniversal), Power Hour welcomed 450 guests who gathered in support of mentorship. Step Up teen Serena, a member of Step Up's Class of 2017 and a senior at The Young Women's Leadership School of East Harlem, was honored in addition to Yaccarino.

The Coach Foundation served as the presenting sponsor for the evening and Executive Director Margaret Coady and Coach President Todd Kahn both offered remarks about the brand's partnership with Step Up. Both sit on Step Up's national board of directors.

Step Up propels teen girls from under-resourced communities to fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound and career-focused. During this 2017-18 school year, 2000 teens are enrolled in the nonprofit's after-school and weekend mentorship programs across 30 partner high schools nationwide.