There was a powerful confluence of causes on Oct. 20 as more than 1,700 UFT members came together on Teacher Union Day to celebrate union activism past and present after many of them participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

At the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan, the Grand Ballroom was awash in pink, from the bright wig worn by a member in the balcony to the pink suit worn by UFT staff director and master of ceremonies Anthony Harmon, to the pink ribbons displayed by union officers and special guests, including former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, who both addressed the crowd.

“Who we are as the UFT, as NYSUT, as the AFT is that we constantly believe in the bigger community, and how we are going to fight and strive for a better life for everyone,” said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.

That impulse was at the heart of the event’s newest honor — the Above and Beyond Award. “These five special schools represent us and all the magic we make happen each and every day in New York City public schools,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew said of the five award winners.

PS 153 in the Bronx was honored for its Pink Ambassadors program, the brainchild of teacher Lisa Williams. In 12 years, the program has raised more than $70,000 for the American Cancer Society.

“We have lost four staff members to breast cancer over the years,” said Williams, “and that’s what motivates us.”

The entire school goes pink during October. “We call it Pink-tober,” Williams said. The 5th-graders who are Pink Ambassadors advertise the drive and collect donations while accruing community service hours. “It’s a big responsibility,” said Williams.

Every Friday is a day of giving, and students and staff donate to wear pink. The Parent Association sells pink T-shirts, and there is a benefit dance.

In 2017, some of the funds raised were used to purchase water filters for Hurricane Maria victims.

“We roll up our sleeves” to help students learn to give back, said PS 153 Chapter Leader Anell Veras. “We are a small school with a big heart.”

Jill Biden, a lifelong educator, founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative in Delaware in 1993. It has taught thousands of young women about self-exams and healthy lifestyle choices.

Miller Photography

Former Vice President Joe Biden addresses the gathering.

“In addition to educating people,” Joe Biden said, “she’s also, like all of you, saving a lot of lives.”

The former vice president, who drove a school bus and worked as a substitute teacher during law school, said he understands the long hours and frustration faced by educators and promised, if elected, to “provide the support you need and the respect you deserve.”

“Teachers and school professionals have to grapple with everything a child brings into the classroom, not just their talents and aspirations but their fears and their problems,” he said. “These are highly important roles that require enormous amounts of empathy, sensitivity and understanding.”

Joe Biden was invited to speak as part of the UFT’s effort to give members the opportunity to hear from the candidates running for the Democratic nomination for president.

The other Above and Beyond honorees were Chapter Leader Patricia Lockhart of PS 57 on Staten Island, who uses soap box racing to teach STEM students about engineering and teamwork; PS 154 in Manhattan, where a mentorship program supports young men of color throughout their school careers; PS/IS 116 in Queens; and PS 177 in Brooklyn, where the school community came together to help a student awaiting a kidney transplant.

Teacher Union Day celebrates the accomplishments of today’s union members while remembering the brave educators who put everything on the line in the 1960 strike that forged the UFT.

The Charles Cogen Award, the day’s highest honor, went to NYSUT President Andy Pallotta.

Ely Trachtenberg Awards for outstanding UFT chapters went to 32 elementary schools, five middle schools, 14 high schools, three District 75 schools and two District 79 schools.

The Jules Kolodny Award for outstanding leadership and commitment to the trade union movement went to Vincent Gaglione, former Bronx borough representative and now an active member of the Retired Teachers Chapter.

The Backer/Scheintaub Award recognizing potential new teacher union leaders was presented to Dermot Smyth, the UFT’s Queens political action coordinator, and Raphael G. Tomkin, a chapter leader who shepherded a divided staff through a difficult time at PS 333 in Manhattan.

The Audrey Chasen Award, in memory of a teacher mentor who was killed in the crossfire of a street shootout in 1992, went to school counselor Joselyn Rosa and social studies teacher Patrick Straw for saving a student’s life.

The Sidney Harris Award, given to an outstanding leader in the area of special education, went to Zbigniew (Ziggy) Chodor for his work in adaptive physical education.

The Albert Lee Smallheiser Awards, recognizing educators who strive to improve their colleagues’ working conditions, went to Bradley Alter, Latrice Curry, Michael Herron, Katherine Kurjakovic, Hernoune Nicolas, Jamie Polzin, Victoria Primiano, Nicole Puglia, Troy Sill and Christopher Louis Verdone.

The Marsh/Raimo Awards for political action went to James Duncan, Lorraine Ferrannini, Michael Lubing, Joseph Natale, Lorine Romero, Vanecia Wilson and retiree George Caulfield.

Eight Success Via Apprenticeship graduates were honored for becoming teachers. Chapter leaders were recognized for reaching 10, 15, 18, 20 and 25 years of service. And 50- and 60-year UFT members were celebrated.