[Robert Redford and JRF Founder Rachel Robinson. All photos via PMc]

Bill Cosby has hosted the Jackie Robinson Foundation Awards Dinner for nearly three decades and he came back again Monday night for the 2009 annual awards honoring actor and Sundance Film Festival founder, Robert Redford, journalist and TV personality Robin Roberts, and neurologist and Carson Scholars Fund founder Dr. Ben Carson Sr. at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The JRF, an education and leadership development program, honored these three individuals all of whom applied their skills and ambitions dedicating themselves to opening doors for youngsters through their fields of entertainment, journalism, and medicine.

More story and photos from this event below...

The evenings award recipients joined the foundations members and alumni for an inspirational evening with a performance by Kenny Lattimore and guests including Oprah's BFF Gayle King, JRF founder Rachel Robinson, and NFL pro Jerome Bettis.

Robert Redford, Gayle King, Robin Roberts

John McGlade, Dr. Ben Carson, Rachel Robinson, Della Britton Baeza (CEO of JRF), Leonard S. Coleman (Chairman of JRF)

Jerome Bettis, Michael Meyer

Tom Brasuell, Kate Gibson, Elizabeth Scott, Delia Pobrowsky