Bill Ritter, the longtime WABC Eyewitness News anchor who stepped away from the desk earlier this year after revealing an Alzheimer's diagnosis, will be honored at the Foster Pride Benefit Gala in New York City on October 19. He'll share the honoree spotlight with Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas at an event set to take place at Phillips in New York City.
Ritter joined Channel 7 in 1998 and co-anchored evening broadcasts there for more than two decades before retiring in June 2026 after publicly disclosing his diagnosis, as reported by The Economic Times.
Over a four-decade journalism career that included anchoring WABC's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts and reporting for ABC News' “20/20,” Ritter earned four Emmy Awards for his work in San Diego, according to his Wikipedia entry. His career also included stints at Fox Television and print outlets such as The Los Angeles Times, per the same entry.
An Artist Known for Reimagining Black Beauty
Co-honoree Mickalene Thomas, born in 1971, is internationally recognized for rhinestone- and enamel-embellished portraits that center Black female beauty, queer identity, and art historical reinterpretation, according to Vielmetter Los Angeles. Her work is held in major permanent collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Comedian and writer Josh Gondelman will host the evening.
Why Foster Pride's Mission Matters Now
Foster Pride was founded by Lynn Schnurnberger and has operated since 1993. The organization has since served more than 15,000 foster youth across New York City through visual arts classes, job preparedness, financial literacy, and internship programs, according to Foster Pride.
Foster Pride cites organizational statistics showing that about 50% of children in foster care fail to graduate high school. Those figures underscore why the group leans on mentorship and creative arts programming as an intervention point for kids navigating the system.
A Returning Partnership at Phillips
A Phillips Auction Benefiting Foster Pride Phillips hosted an auction benefiting the nonprofit in 2023.
Attendees can purchase tickets and find more details about the October 19 benefit through Foster Pride directly.
