May 2, 2008 11:08 pm
On February 27th, Gordon Quinn and Peter Gilbert represented Kartemquin at the 10th Anniversary Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund event at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington DC. The fund has been providing opportunities for inner-city DC public school children since 1996.
Peter Gilbert reflected on the event: "For Gordon and I, it was an exciting evening. Hoop Dreams was a work of passion for all of us at Kartemquin. Seeing the film used as the inspiration for such a wonderful and important organization 10 years after the release of the film was heartwarming. We all make social issue films with the hope that they will make some small impact in the community. Being at The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Foundation anniversary gave us great joy in knowing that we played just a small part in a wonderful organization that carries the film’s name."
Susie Kay, the fund's founder, found inspiration in Kartemquin's documentary Hoop Dreams while teaching American Government at H.D. Woodson High School. She wanted to reward students who were working hard despite immense adversity and help them find means to attend college. Over the last 10 years, Susie and her Board have funded over 1,400 academic scholarships and sent 800 Washington DC Public School children to college. Each student is matched with a mentor in the business world who helps guide him or her through college and life.
Read The Examiner’s coverage of the event here (pdf).