Nelly Gives Away College Scholarships

The Black and White Ball, St. Louis' premier celebrity gala event, took  place on December 6th at the Chase Park Plaza hotel. Hosted by Nelly, the annual black-tie holiday-season celebration was a highlight of the city's social calendar.

Nelly was  joined at the party by a diverse group of his celebrity and athlete friends including Jermaine Dupri, track & field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, baseball Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Smith, and members of the famed R&B group The Isley Brothers. The Black and White Ball included  performances from Grammy-nominated R&B singer Mario and magician Justin Kredible, a regular guest on The Rachel Ray Show.

At the event, Nelly, Lindenwood University's Black Student Union, and Plaza Motors announced the launch of the 2010/2011 Black And White Ball scholarship program which  provides two students from the St. Louis region with 4-year full-tuition scholarships/grants to Lindenwood University. In addition, the inaugural 2009/2010 Black And White Ball scholarship recipients were recognized at the gala.

Over the past three years, the Black and White Ball has attracted a variety of celebrity and athlete guests- previous attendees and performers at the Black and White Ball have included Janet Jackson, Allen Iverson, D.L. Hughley, Evander Holyfield, Boyz II Men Ashanti, Ruben Studdard, Steven Jackson, Allen Iverson, Jim Edmonds, and Torry Holt.

The 2009 Black and White Ball was presented by Crown Royal with additional support from Budweiser Select, Plaza Cadillac, Red Bull, Hennessy, Superior Products, and SYNERGY Productions LLC.