For more than seventy years, luminous guest speakers have stepped from the world stage to honor and entertain annual dinner audiences with their light humor and political savvy.

Due to the limitations we are all contending with as a result of COVID-19 and in the interest of the safety and protection of our donors and speakers, this year’s Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner will be a significantly modified event. In-person participation will be limited to 50 socially-distanced guests, a significant reduction from the 1000 to 1500 guests who attend the Gala every year in support of the financially vulnerable children of our city.

On presidential election years, in a tradition that extends back to Kennedy and Nixon in 1960, the presidential candidates serve as the evening’s celebrated speakers at Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner . The dinner is one of our culture’s last bastions of non-partisan participation and the foundation looks forward to continuing the 60 year tradition this year with our honored speakers joining us for a night of good-natured humor, in solidarity with the most vulnerable members of our communities at this difficult time in our history, the children.

Further details are forthcoming. Please continue to refer to this page and the Media Center for updates.