(PIX11) -- Women across the five boroughs were honored Tuesday night at the first-ever citywide Yes Queen Gala, hosted by the NYPD.
The event honored women leaders and professionals.
“They do a lot of work in the community bridging the gap between the NYPD and the communities they live in; they go out and beyond,” said Tania Kinsella, the first deputy commissioner for NYPD.
Janet Cohen was one of 21 women recognized for positively impacting their communities. She’s the program director at the Community Initiatives of New York, based in Harlem, and teaches social and emotional learning to children.
“Our young generation, our young kids, have to see us in positions of power so that they can know, 'Hey, I can attain that, I want that, I can do it,'” Cohen said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams stopped at the event to speak with the honorees.
“I am who I am because women have supported and inspired me,” Adams shared.
Around 400 people participated in the gala, and many were accompanied by their families.
Rachel Kellner, the owner of Aigner’s Chocolate, brought her 5-year-old son.
“I think it’s incredible for kids to see their parents in these roles and for them to see their mothers in these roles, that they are not just moms. They are business people. They support the community,” Kellner said.
The first deputy commissioner is planning to make this an annual event, citing the need to recognize women for their work as mothers, mentors and community members.
“When you have women in such high places that they turn around, they are making sure that we grab every other woman from every community and bring them along for the ride,” Kinsella said.
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