The David Prize is offering $200K to New Yorkers
with ideas about how to make the city a better place
BY ANGELICA ACEVEDO
The David Prize invites
New Yorkers who
love, work and live in
one of the five boroughs
to submit their best ideas
to make the city a better
place for a chance to win
$200,000.
The prize, which
comes in the form of unrestricted
capital and no
strings attached, would
go to five New Yorkers
with a unique vision and
concrete ways to achieve
that vision. The ideas
to help improve the city
can come in any form
— whether it’s socially,
economically, culturally,
environmentally or otherwise.
This is the first
year The Walentas Family
Foundation launched
the award, according to
The David Prize’s Executive
Director Erika Boll.
Boll told QNS that the
inspiration for this prize
came from David Walentas
himself.
“He directly shaped a
lot of the New York City
that we know and call
home today, and as part
of that work, he’s been
supporting other individuals
through philanthropy,”
Boll said.
Now, they want to
find more people who
can continue to make the
city a better place to live.
Boll said that the most
important thing about
The David Prize is that
it welcomes everyone to
apply.
“We have a real focus
on individuals, we want
to hear from anyone,”
Boll said. “Any New
Yorker can win.”
People can either apply
with their own ideas
or nominate someone.
The requirements are
straight-forward:
The applicant must be
a New Yorker and live or
work in the five boroughs.
They have to have a
bold vision that will ultimately
help people in the
city and have concrete
ideas about specific activities
or ways that they
will move forward that
vision.
They need to tell The
David Prize why they’re
the best person to make
that vision come to life.
They must have a real
need for the $200,000 —
as in, the prize itself can
be catalytic for that work
and will help the vision
grow in a significant
way.The deadline for The
David Prize application
is on Dec. 1. They plan
to announce the winners
sometime in the spring.
For more information
and to submit in your
ideas, visit www.thedavidprize.
org.
Gianaris condemns
Islamophobic graffi ti
BY MAX PARROTT
Astoria state Senator Michael Gianaris
called on the New York City Police
Department (NYPD) to investigate
anti-Muslim graffiti that was found
over the weekend at an Astoria bus
stop as a hate crime.
A photo taken at the bus stop at Ditmars
Boulevard and Steinway Street
shows a scribble that reads “If you see
someone with a turban, chop it off”
scrawled on a billboard.
“This is horrifying and unacceptable,
and the NYPD should promptly
investigate this incident as a hate
crime,” wrote Gianaris in a letter directly
to the Police Commissioner
James O’Neill.
Gianaris’ spokesperson said that
their office was alerted about the vandalization
by a constituent on Saturday,
Nov. 23.
“Hate has no home in New York and
we cannot tolerate these incidents in
our communities. This should be investigated
promptly as a hate crime,”
said Gianaris in a statement. “Western
Queens is among the most diverse
A photo taken at the bus stop at Ditmars
Boulevard and Steinway Street shows a
scribble that reads “If you see someone
with a turban, chop it off” on a billboard.
Courtesy of Gianaris’ offi ce
places to live on the planet and this
does not reflect who we are or what we
aspire to be.”
A spokesperson for the NYPD had
no record of anyone reporting the graffiti
to the 114th Police Precinct and
could not yet answer whether it was
being investigated as a hate crime.
Anyone with information can call
Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
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TIMESLEDGER,22 NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019 QNS.COM
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