The City Gala Fundraiser honors former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and American businessman and philanthropist John Paul DeJoria (co-founder, Paul Mitchell, John Paul Pet, ROK Mobile, and The Patron Spirits Company) at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, immediately following The 58th Annual GRAMMYs on Monday, February 15, 2016.
City Gala 2016 benefits Community Inspiring Today's Youth (CITY), a non-profit organization that supports and mentors underserved teens and young adults in developing their own start-up businesses in Los Angeles. Keynote speaker is entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson (founder, Virgin Group).
Aldrin, an American engineer, former astronaut and the second person to walk on the moon, has supported charitable and philanthropic efforts through Buzz Aldrin’s Share Space Foundation. At the event, The City Gala will present Aldrin with the City Gala Lifetime Achievement Award.
Aldrin, age 86, says, “Well, I guess you could say that I’ve worked a lifetime to earn this award, and I’m blessed to receive it on such a beautiful charitable night, alongside some of the most brilliant minds of our time.”
DeJoria, a member of The Giving Pledge, has supported charitable and philanthropic efforts through his Peace, Love and Happiness Foundation for over a decade. At the event, The City Gala will present DeJoria the Legacy of Inspiration Award. The honor is meant to inspire other high net worth individuals to tell the story of their rise to success, their challenges, and ultimately their accomplishment of being able to give forward.
DeJoria says, “On the music industry’s biggest night, it is exciting to know that we have such an esteemed group of individuals coming together to celebrate and support CITY’s young entrepreneurs. Being honored by the organization supporting these kids is a reminder that we all had to start somewhere, and in the beginning, someone gave us a chance to succeed.”
Emcee for the night is Jeff Timmons of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees. The event is an exclusive invitation-only black tie fundraiser featuring an open bar, open buffet, honor ceremonies, live musical entertainment, a charitable poker tournament, tours of the Playboy Mansion grounds, celebrity meet and greets, a fashion show, as well as a live and silent auction.
Sponsors include JetSmarter, Seed Invest, BELLA Magazine, OK! TV, Modern Luxury Angeleno, Hemp Blue, Imbue Model Management and AirVuz.
Funds raised at the charity gala will support CITY and its non-profit programs for LA youth, as well From the Heart Productions, Fire Life Foundation, The Scheer Foundation and Supporting Our Servicemen (SOS).
The first City Gala took place on Oscars night in 2014, featuring keynote speaker James Cameron and special guests Charlize Theron, Sean Penn, Halle Berry, Tyrese Gibson, Gene Simmons and Paris Hilton, as well as live musical entertainment provided by Ne-Yo. The event raised over $350,000 for charitable causes.
For more details and event admission information, click here.
