On Wednesday, December 9, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented the 20th Anniversary Mickey Mantle Community Service Award to director and actor Spike Lee as well as Denise Arbesu of Citibank at an annual sports and entertainment fantasy auction at Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant benefiting Camp Brooklyn.

Camp Brooklyn was founded by BP Markowitz to give children from low-income homes an opportunity to attend a sleepaway camp at no cost to the camper. The Camp Brooklyn Fund gives these children a chance to leave their urban environment and learn about teamwork, loyalty, wholesome health habits, responsibility, personal respect and appreciation for nature, all of which are a part of a child’s education at summer camp.

“Every year that we’ve done Camp Brooklyn, I’ve seen the transformative effect it has on kids,” said BP Markowitz. “They come back changed for the better—they are more mature and they have a new level of respect for the adults in their lives. They keep a little bit of that camp experience with them, and carry it for the rest of their lives.”

Since 2002, Camp Brooklyn has sent more than 1,500 Brooklyn children to summer camp. To help raise funds—and send over 400 children to camp in 2010—Camp Brooklyn auctioned off a number of unique and exclusive items at the event, including:

• A walk-on role in Spike Lee’s next movie
• A Bruce Springsteen signed acoustic guitar
• A week-long stay along the Amalfi Coast in Italy with breakfast and gourmet dinners in a sea view room at the four-star rated Hotel Bonadies
• Four- or five-day Carnival Cruise, sailing from the Port of New York
• An Alex Rodriguez #13 autographed New York Yankees pinstripe jersey

In addition, a vacation package with Carnival Cruise Lines, VIP seats to the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, getaways to Orlando, Salt Lake and Las Vegas and more than 50 other items were auctioned.