• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 2, 2022

The Ad Council held its 68th Annual Public Service Award Dinner last night at New York City’s Glasshouse and raised a record $7 million from the event.

The Council honored Doug McMillon, President & CEO of Walmart, for his exceptional contributions to corporate citizenship, including Walmart’s support for the Ad Council’s campaign Welcoming Immigrants, COVID-19 Vaccination Education Initiative and additional efforts.

The Dinner was co-hosted by co-anchor of ABC News/Nightline, Juju Chang, and anchor of ESPN's Sports Center Face to Face, Hannah Storm, and featured a live performance from the Detroit Youth Choir.

This year’s dinner theme was “Face Forward, Meet the Moment” and was co-chaired by Jacki Kelley, Ad Council Chair and CEO of Dentsu Americas, and Ad Council Board Member and Walmart CMO William White.

The event highlighted personal stories from individuals throughout the country whose experiences and actions have inspired their communities amid complex challenges since the onset of the pandemic.

One example: Ron Holden founder of Ride For Black Lives, a group bike ride in Los Angeles, CA that begin during the pandemic as a way to bring people together with a peaceful message of love and unity.

Numerous firms sponsored the even including “diamond” sponsor Verizon.