Beating the Odds

The Children’s Defense Fund provides scholarships to students who have succeeded in the face of adversity

Event: The 19th Annual Children’s Defense Fund Beat the Odds awards dinner at The Depot in Minneapolis, March 11.

Cause: The Children’s Defense Fund is a non-profit child advocacy organization dedicated to helping children of color, children from low-income families, and children with disabilities.

Defying the Odds: Nearly 600 people attended including mayors R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman. Four high-school seniors—Alexander Glaze, Amira Gill, Sasha Schanz, and Abdirahman Hassan—received $4,000 scholarships in recognition of their educational success despite adversity.

Going Once, Going Twice: This year featured a live auction that included such items as a trip to Cabo, a golf getaway at Grandview Lodge, and a Minnesota Twins experience.

Click on the photos to see names of those pictured.