Charlotte’s Mayor’s Masked Ball to honor Johnson family for long-running community giving and entrepreneurship
A major scholarship fundraiser returns to the Charlotte Convention Center
The UNCF Charlotte Mayor’s Masked Ball is scheduled for March 21, 2026, at the Charlotte Convention Center, continuing a civic gala that combines fundraising with a formal program recognizing local business and community leaders. The event is positioned as a cornerstone fundraiser supporting scholarships and other educational assistance linked to historically Black colleges and universities.
For the 2026 program, the Johnson family—identified with SB&J Enterprises—has been selected as a Community Impact honoree, a designation that highlights sustained community involvement alongside business leadership. The family members listed in the event program include Sue Johnson (owner), Yolanda Johnson (CEO/president), and Rhonda Johnson (COO/vice president). The honor also recognizes the late James Bernard “Bernie” Johnson posthumously.
Who is being honored and why it matters
While the gala’s proceeds are directed toward educational support, the recognition component is designed to underscore long-term civic and philanthropic engagement in Charlotte. In naming the Johnson family as Community Impact honorees, the event places a family-run enterprise within a broader narrative of local institutions and entrepreneurs whose giving is tied to community stability and opportunity.
SB&J Enterprises is a Charlotte-based, family-owned company associated with airport concessions and related service operations. Public business records and company materials describe the firm as a minority-owned enterprise with headquarters in Charlotte, with leadership roles held by members of the Johnson family.
Connection to UNCF’s education mission
The Charlotte Mayor’s Masked Ball supports UNCF’s core mission of expanding access to higher education by raising large-scale donations and increasing visibility for scholarship funding. In recent years, the event has drawn hundreds of attendees and produced seven-figure fundraising totals; the 2025 ball raised more than $1.7 million for UNCF-related educational support.
In addition to the Johnson family recognition, the 2026 program lists Masked Award honorees Malcomb D. Coley (retired partner) and J. Frank Harrison III, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Consolidated. The structure reflects the event’s model of pairing fundraising with public recognition across civic, corporate, and nonprofit spheres.
What to watch in this year’s program
How the program frames “community impact,” including whether honorees’ work is presented through specific initiatives, partnerships, or long-term volunteer and philanthropic commitments.
How corporate sponsorship and major-donor participation are integrated into a scholarship-focused event, particularly as fundraising targets and sponsorship levels are publicly defined.
Whether the 2026 fundraising total meets or exceeds recent results, given the event’s role in channeling significant donations toward education access.
The gala’s honoree slate for 2026 reflects a continued emphasis on multigenerational leadership—recognizing both longstanding family enterprises and corporate executives—within a scholarship-centered fundraising framework.
The 2026 Charlotte Mayor’s Masked Ball begins with a reception followed by dinner and a formal program, concluding with entertainment and an after-party, according to the event agenda.