Hundreds of guests gathered at the Royal Sonesta Houston tonight for a black-tie affair to honor a dozen humanitarians making a difference in Houston and beyond at the Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards!

The lavish gala, presented by Houston Random Acts of Kindness Day and The LemonTree Foundation, recognized 12 civic and business leaders, philanthropists and non-profit founders that exemplify kindness and make Houston a better place to live!

Among tonight’s Honorees was Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, an award-winning rapper, entrepreneur, actor, producer, and philanthropist who has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and has executive produced, directed, and co-starred in the hit series’ “Power” and “’Power Book II: Ghost” on Starz. Jackson founded the G-Unity Foundation in 2003 and successfully pioneered the G-Unity Business Lab, an educational intervention program in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) that uses a team (parents, teachers, community services providers) to provide academic and social services to youth attending HISD by delivering a highly focused, year-long course on entrepreneurship!

Additional Houston Humanitarians honored at the event included Dave and Laura Ward, Kenneth Li, Dr. Iresha Hilliard, LeMarcus and Amber Newman, Dr. Carolyn Farb, Councilman Edward Pollard, Bishop Leroy J. Woodard Jr., Darryl and Linda Wischnewsky, Alan Helfman, Caleb Cook, who was honored with the Florene Ivory Dennis Historic Heart Award, and Amit Tandon, who received the 2022 National Humanitarian Award.

The invitation-only gala, held in partnership with the Royal Sonesta Houston, was emceed by KRIV-TV FOX 26 personality Isiah Carey and Emmy Award-winning FOX 26 news anchor Melissa Wilson. The awards program featured prominent speakers including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Past Humanitarian Honoree Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, along with musical performances by Grammy Award Winner Regina Belle and renown Pianist and Composer Jeff Franzel!

Established in 2014 by local Humanitarians Treveia and David Dennis, the Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards honor Houstonians that exemplify kindness and make Houston a better place to live through action, philanthropy, volunteerism or involvement. The Founders also present signature awards that recognize special achievements and meaningful contributions to societal issues and people in need.

The Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards were founded to recognize local unsung heroes and encourage participation in Houston Random Acts of Kindness Day (RAK Day), an official day for Houstonians to pay it forward with kindness, held each year on July 25. In celebration of RAK Day this year, the Dennis’ will be announcing a brand-new initiative, created in collaboration with local businesses and HISD, called “RAK Rooms”, that encourage and reward good behavior and academic achievement among students at HISD Schools and help students and families in need!