On Sunday night, we celebrate the biggest and brightest Black entertainers in the world at the 15th annual BET Awards. But on Saturday, BET and Denny's teamed up to put a spotlight on local heroes who have made a positive impact on their communities at the 2015 Community Impact Awards.
Hosted by Wendy Raquel Robinson, the intimate event at the Conga Room in Los Angeles celebrated service, humility and dedication to making a difference — three things deeply rooted in the mission of Denny's. It's no wonder the American diner franchise stepped up to become the presenting sponsor of the CIAs.
This year, the CIAs honored radio legend Tom Joyner and A-list actor Tyrese Gibson for their efforts. You can watch all the feel-good fun of the Community Impact Awards on Centric, airing July 12 at 7 p.m. EST.
To learn more about Denny's dedication to diversity and having a positive impact on the communities the company serves, we sat down with April Kelly-Drummond, Director of Corporate Diversity, to learn more about Denny's efforts to end childhood hunger, promote education and continue to diversify its corporate structure. 
Ending childhood hunger and promoting education is a big focus of your efforts. How do these two things go hand in hand?
Impacting the communities in which we do business is crucial to our organization. As a company, we aim to identify efforts that focus on helping others fulfill their dreams and take advantage of opportunities. Supporting and participating in hunger relief and education efforts, especially in underprivileged markets, is something that we’re incredibly passionate about and are issues which unfortunately affect so many of our communities, so it makes sense to combine the two efforts. Initiatives such as our Denny’s Hungry for Education program, which awards scholarships to deserving students across the country for their ideas to help fight childhood hunger, helps in the fight against childhood hunger while supporting education where it needs it the most.
We're thrilled that the 2015 Community Impact Awards is part of the BET Experience and will air on Centric. Why do you believe BET and Centric are such good partners for your efforts?
Denny’s is a proud long-time advertising partner of BET and BET College Tour, and we’re thrilled to be a presenting sponsor of the BET Networks 2015 Community Impact Awards. Our partnership with BET Experience and Community Impact Awards share a mutual goal of providing relevant, engaging and meaningful outreach to the community, and we’re excited to be right in the middle of the action.
This year, you are recognizing Tyrese Gibson and Tom Joyner for their impact on communities. What about these men makes them extraordinary leaders?
Both Tyrese and Tom Joyner are industry leaders and are paving the way for service in the community. Each of them is dedicated to impacting the community in different ways, with their ongoing efforts inspiring to all those around them. We couldn’t think of two more deserving recipients to receive these awards and hopefully encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
There is a misconception that "diversity initiatives" equals charity, when indeed diversity is the lifeblood of business. In what ways does the support of local communities, minorities and women fuel Denny's future as a company? What kind of "return on investment" have you seen from your commitment to diversity?
Denny’s is committed to embracing the unique qualities of each employee in our company, valuing the differences in thought, culture, and experience that each of them brings. We are proud to have built a diverse and inclusive workforce that promotes our openness to all people, ideas and perspectives, and highlights our commitment to diversity while aligning with our corporate strategy and core values. Investing in the "Power of We," one of our guiding principles, is what fuels and drives our company every day and helps us celebrate the many differences that unite our nation.
Lastly, can you tell us any more about the performances and guests we can expect at the Community Impact Awards?
It is going to be an incredibly exciting show with a variety of inspiring performances, from the likes of Tyrese, our outstanding event hostess, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and many more star-studded guests that you don’t want to miss. Tune in on July 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST on Centric, where all of our honorees will be sharing their incredible stories and you can see the awards in full.  

(Photo: Maury Phillips/BET/Getty Images for BET)