ElevateMeD: Names Chiquita Lockley as the 2024 Trailblazer at the Ignite Atlanta Scholarship Event on April 20th, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scottsdale, Arizona/Atlanta, Georgia- ElevateMeD returns to the heart of Atlanta in celebration of its third anniversary with Ignite Atlanta, the organization's multi-city scholarship fundraising event. Ignite Atlanta will take place on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd Atlanta, GA 30310) from 6:00 pm to 10 pm. Proceeds raised will support tuition-based scholarships, mentorship and leadership development for underrepresented medical students through the ElevateMeD Scholars Program. Event information and tickets can be found at ignite.elevatemed.org.
After paying off their combined $500,000 in medical school debt, Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey, a Spelman College graduate, and co-founder husband Dr. Gregory Umphrey, a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine, founded the organization to give back to the next generation of diverse physician leaders. Since its inception in 2019, the Scottsdale-based nonprofit ElevateMeD has provided support to over 50 underrepresented medical students from across the country, awarding over $1,000,000 in scholarships and support through its Scholars Program.
“Acknowledging the historical gravity of five years of sustained influence on the fight against healthcare disparities, ElevateMeD could not have selected a greater city with partners aligned in our mission or location to share this historical context than in Atlanta at the National Center for Human and Civil Rights.”
The 2023 Ignite Atlanta scholarship event was successful, capturing an audience of 150 physicians, professionals, sponsors and students who believe in the organization’s mission to increase diversity in medicine. That evening, the organization successfully raised over $150,000 for the ElevateMeD Scholars Program. ElevateMeD is excited to return to Atlanta in celebration of its fifth anniversary in 2024 and highlight this year’s Trailblazer Award recipient Chiquita Lockley. The ElevateMeD Trailblazer Award is presented to individuals who are making extraordinary contributions within the world of healthcare. Chiquita Lockley is producer and director of the critically acclaimed documentary, Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility (OWN, Discovery+).
“ElevateMeD is more than a scholarship program, it is a community of advocates who are ready and excited to mold the next generation of impactful physicians. I would not be where I am today without the people who have supported me in my life, and it is my goal to pay it forward to younger generations.”
This year's celebration will herald a memorable night at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights featuring:
Pre-event networking hour with open bar
Dinner provided through Wolfgang Puck Catering
Musical entertainment by DJ Tron
An exciting live and silent auction
Presentation of the 2024 Trailblazer Award to Chiquita Lockley (Film Director/Producer)
Keynote address by ElevateMeD Scholar Ashley Harriott, Emory School of Medicine '24.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available online through April 7, 2024 at ignite.elevatemed.org.
ABOUT ELEVATEMED:
ElevateMeD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to elevating medicine by providing scholarships, mentorship, leadership training, and financial management education to future physicians from African-American/Black, Latinx, and Native American backgrounds. Through our Scholars Program, we aim to increase physician workforce diversity and improve cultural competence among physicians to reduce health disparities. Learn more about our mission and vision by visiting elevatemed.org and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @elevatemedinc.
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