Key Takeaways
- The Riverside Hawks' 2026 Power of the Game Gala is scheduled for Nov. 2 at The Grill & The Pool in New York City.
- The gala will recognize leaders from business, sports, entertainment, and education while supporting the Harlem basketball program.
- Tickets, tables, and sponsorships are available through the Riverside Hawks' official website.
The Power of the Game Gala is returning for another incredible year. Last Tuesday (Sept. 8), the Riverside Hawks announced that the 66th annual event will honor four of today’s most influential leaders across business, sports, entertainment, and education.
Set for Nov. 2 at New York City’s The Grill & The Pool, the gala will recognize Wendy Short Bartie, Terri Carmichael Jackson, William H. Masterson III, and Derek Richardson. “People hear ‘Harlem basketball program,’ and they picture a gym,” Riverside Hawks Executive Director Aswan Morris said in a press statement. “What we actually run is a pipeline.”
“A child comes to us because they love basketball. Years later, they leave with a college acceptance, confidence in who they are, and a vision for what they can become. Basketball is the hook. It was never the point,” he continued. "Every one of this year's honorees represents a different possibility for the young people we serve."
Who the Riverside Hawks are honoring at the 2026 Power of the Game Gala
The 2026 honorees are nothing short of incredible. Bartie oversees corporate affairs at Bristol Myers Squibb, a biopharmaceutical company behind medicines developed for patients facing serious diseases. Jackson, meanwhile, helped secure one of the largest pay increases in WNBA history as part of May’s CBA agreement and currently leads the Women’s National Basketball Players Association as executive director.
Masterson also has quite the résumé, having served as an executive producer on Kobe Bryant’s Oscar-winning Dear Basketball, the animated short the late NBA icon wrote and narrated himself. Rounding out the group is Richardson, whom many may recognize from his more than two decades officiating NBA games.
Together, the four join a long list of people Riverside Hawks has honored over the years, including Chris Mullin, Earl Monroe, Stephen A. Smith, and Swin Cash, among many others.
How to attend the 2026 Power of the Game Gala
For anyone interested in attending or supporting the Power of the Game Gala, tickets, tables, and sponsorships are currently available through the Riverside Hawks’ official website. Seating starts at $1,000, while sponsorship packages are going for $25,000 and up.