Grammy legends Kool & the Gang, with longtime leader/co-founder Robert Kool Bell, earned many accolades over the past year. This includes the band’s long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 2024) as well as being recognized as the most sampled band in the fifty-plus years of Hip Hop. Classics such as “Jungle Boogie”, “Hollywood Swinging”, “Summer Madness”, “Ladies Night”, “Get Down On It” and the number one smash “Celebration”, are stellar examples from Kool & the Gang’s massive catalog.
This summer, the Bell family (Kool, along with sons Hakim Bell and Muhammad Bell) are hosting two events, both in honor of Sakinah Bell, Kool’s departed wife.
The 2nd Annual First Lady Awards Brunch will take place on Saturday, July 12th, 2025, 12 noon ET, at the Highlawn, 1 Crest Drive, West Orange, NJ. This event will recognize and honor women who have made major contributions to the worlds of entrepreneurship, non-profit work, community leadership and the arts.
WPIX-TV newswoman Monica Morales and singer/songwriter Latrice Verrett will co-host. The brunch is sponsored by Le Kool champagne, Robert Kool Bell’s line of grand cru spirits.
On Tuesday, July 15th, 2025, at 1 pm, the sixth annual Kool Kids Foundation Golf Tournament will be held at the Cedar Hill Country Club, 100 Walnut Street, Livingston NJ. This yearly event has drawn many celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports. Comedian Chris Tucker and football great O.J. Anderson will co-host the fundraiser with hip-hop greats Ja Rule and Naughty By Nature’s Vinnie Brown in attendance, among others.
In years past, the Golf Tournament has raised funds for the Kool Kids Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 co-founded by Kool and Sakinah, whose mission is to provide both financial support and musical instruments for kids in school. Organizations such as the Glenfield Middle School PTA and the Malcolm X Shabazz High School marching band have received grants from the Kool Kids Foundation to help both groups continue their music education initiatives for youth.
For more information regarding the Kool Kids Foundation, go to www.koolkidsfoundation.org
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