World of Children, a global recognition and funding organization for individuals exclusively serving the needs of vulnerable children, announced today the extraordinary group of real-life heroes that will be honored at the 2018 World of Children Hero Awards Benefit on Thursday, April 19 at Montage Beverly Hills.
This year’s honorees have each lead high-impact programs benefitting children across the globe.
Brooke Burke-Charvet (Actress, CEO of ModernMom) will serve as the emcee for the event and will be joined by special guests Lily Aldridge Followill (World of Children Ambassador, International Model, Child Advocate) and Caryl M. Stern (President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF). The benefit will include a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction, and awards program featuring special performances by the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir and The Kenyan Boys Choir.
The annual ceremony will recognize Veronica and Brian Grazer with the World of Children Board of Governors’ Award for their unwavering dedication to the organization and elevating awareness for child advocates. The Grazer’s have been involved with World of Children since meeting Co-Founders Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz in 2014 and were instrumental in establishing the Hero Awards Benefit, now an annual event for World of Children. In addition, Veronica and Brian have used every personal opportunity to give back, including asking for donations in lieu of both wedding and birthday gifts.
“We are honored to present Veronica and Brian with our 2018 Board of Governors’ Award,” said World of Children Co-Founder Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz. “Their commitment to World of Children is never about them. It’s about their deep faith and commitment to making the world a better place for children.”
Max Frieder, co-founder of Artolution, will be honored with the 2018 Crisis Award for his work in igniting positive social change via impactful, large-scale interactive murals around the world, and empowering youth in communities that face social exclusion and trauma, including refugees, the incarcerated, people with disabilities, and young people living in areas of conflict or extreme poverty. The Crisis Award recognizes individuals making extraordinary contributions to children affected by war, natural disasters, or other crises creating large cohorts of extremely vulnerable children.
Additionally, three other individuals will receive the 2018 Alumni Award, a unique honor given to past Honorees who have previously received a World of Children Award. These are individuals who have leveraged their original awards far beyond what could have anticipated – delivering an even more profound impact for children. World of Children Alumni Award Honorees will receive a minimum cash grant of $20,000 to continue their outstanding work with children.
• 2018 Health Alumni Honoree: Dr. Elizabeth Jones, founding chair of Foundation for the Children of the Californias, which provides a nonprofit pediatric medical center to meet the critical needs of children in Tijuana, Mexico.
• 2018 Humanitarian Alumni Honoree: Douglas Maclagan, founder of Child Welfare Scheme, which provides education, healthcare and social opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Nepal.
• 2018 Youth Alumni Honoree: Sarah Cronk, founder of The Sparkle Effect, is helping students create middle school, high school and college dance and cheer teams that bring together students with and without disabilities.
The 2018 World of Children Hero Awards Benefit Honorary Chairs include Daniela Braga, Molly Eldredge, Jeffrey Kapor, David E. Salzman, Sandy Sholl, and Caryl M. Stern. Event Co-chairs for the event include Molly Eldredge, Kathy Fogel, Adam Freede, Veronica Grazer, Craig Leibowitz, Rachel Roy, Susie Sheinberg, and Sandy Sholl.
