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The first Benefit Gala in 2003.

The Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala is held at the Cipriani in New York City. Sesame Workshop hosts the evening as a fundraising event, and to honor outstanding individuals around the world who have contributed to education.

2003, 35th Anniversary

• Date - June 4, 2003
• Host - Katie Couric
• Honored - Kofi Annan and his wife Nane Annan
• Attendees - Elmo, Tony Bennett, Zeliboba, Pino, Abelardo Montoya, Kami, Big Bird, Mike Renzi, John Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney, Glenn Close, Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado, Sonia Manzano, Loretta Long, Roscoe Orman, Fran Brill as Zoe, John Tartaglia as Ernie, Carmen Osbahr as Rosita and Paul McGinnis as Grover and Oscar the Grouch.

Kofi and Nane Annan	Glenn Close and Oscar	Tony Bennett and Elmo	Joan Ganz Cooney
Katie Couric and Elmo	The cast of Sesame Street	Paul McGinnis and Grover	John Tartaglia and Ernie

2004

• Date - Jun 02, 2004
• Host - Diane Sawyer
• Honored - Desmond Tutu
• Attendees - Oprah Winfrey, Kami, Zuzu, Zikwe, Matt Lauer and Annette Lauer, Tina Brown and Harry Evans, George Stephanopoulos and talk show host Ali Wentworth, Cynthia McFadden and Deborah Roberts, Martha Stewart, Maria Bartiromo, Lesley Stahl and author Aaron Latham, actress Carol Kane, artist Peter Max, Bob Kerrey (New School President and head of 9/11 Commission), publisher Mort Zuckerman and Judge Kimba Wood.
• Links - sesameworkshop.org

Desmond Tutu and Oprah Winfrey

Diane Sawyer

2005

• Date - June 1, 2005
• Host - Barbara Walters
• Honored - Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan and Stan O’Neal (Chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc.) "for creating educational opportunities around the globe."
• Attendees - Vanessa Williams, Tonton, and New York Post gossip journalist Liz Smith.
• Links - Sesame Workshop Press Release

Barbara Walters

Jordan's Queen Rania

Vanessa Williams

2006

• Date - May 31, 2006
• Host - Matt Lauer
• Honored - Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, for her commitment to reducing poverty, malnutrition and disease, and protecting children from abuse and violence, and Alan C. “Ace” Greenberg, Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., for his work in helping children better cope with trauma and uncertainty.
• Attendees - Lillias White, Hoots the Owl, Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney), Zoe (Fran Brill), Cookie Monster, Elmo (Kevin Clash), Ernie and Bert, Grover (Eric Jacobson), Rosita (Carmen Osbahr), and Kami, Michael Bloomberg, Joan Ganz Cooney, Gary Knell.
• Links - Sesame Workshop Press Release

			Ann M. Veneman
Lillias White	Alan Greenberg	Matt Lauer

2007

• Date - May 30, 2007
• Host - Matt Lauer
• Honored - Laura Bush and James E. Rohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., "for PNC's 10-year, $100 million investment to improve access and quality of early childhood education to benefit children and communities."
• Attendees - Jenna Bush and Barbara Bush, Brian Stokes Mitchell
• Links - Press Pre-Release, Sesame Workshop Press Release

Laura and Jenna Bush

Brian Stokes Mitchell

2008

• Date - May 28, 2008
• Host - Anderson Cooper
• Honored - Richard Parsons (Chairman, Time Warner Inc.) with a Corporate Leadership Award, for his funding of Galli Galli Sim Sim, and Susan and Michael Dell with a Global Leadership Award.
• Attendees - Nitya Vidyasagar, Grover, Chamki, Soledad O'Brien, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Gary E. Knell.
• Links - sesameworkshop.org

Anderson Cooper	Gary Knell	Grover	Joan Cooney
Nitya Vidyasagar	Richard Parsons	Soledad O'Brien	Susan Dell

2009, 40th Anniversary

• Date - May 27, 2009
• Host - Brian Williams
• Honored - NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
• Attendees - President Barack Obama (via pre-recorded video), Sheryl Crow, Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, Bianna Golodryga, Joel Schumacher, Kate Snow, Joan Cooney, Lloyd Morriset, Paula Zahn, Roscoe Orman
• Links - Sesame Workshop announcement, Sesame Workshop coverage

Sheryl Crow performing with Elmo	Michael Bloomberg	Brian Williams	Joan Ganz Cooney
Sheryl Crow	Sheryl Crow	Al Roker and Deborah Roberts	Bianna Golodryga
Bloomberg Muppet and Abby	Bloomberg Muppet and Bloomberg	Brian Williams and Jane Stoddard Williams	Fran Brill
Joel Schumacher	Kate Snow	Joan Cooney and Lloyd Morriset	Paula Zahn
Roscoe Orman	Bob McGrath	David Westin and Sherrie Rollins Westin	Kevin Clash
Leslie Carrara	Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss