On Saturday night, City Year Los Angeles hosted their 12th annual Spring Break: Destination Education benefit which raised over $2.2 million to support thousands of students across L.A. thrive in school and in life.
Credit/Copyright: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for City Year Los Angeles
The event brought together over 900 guests — including community and business leaders, celebrities and influencers, families and AmeriCorps members for an exciting night of food, fun, and entertainment in support of education. The benefit honored Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and longtime City Year L.A. board member Octavia Spencer and Kevin Demoff, COO of the Los Angeles Rams and City Year LA board member. Actor, comedian, and television host Joel McHale emceed the event which featured a special musical performance by GRAMMY-nominated singer Chlöe Bailey, known mononymously as Chlöe.
Academy Award-Winning actor and producer Viola Davis presented Spencer with her honor in recognition of her advocacy and commitment to the thousands of children across Los Angeles public schools who benefit directly from having a City Year mentor. Super Bowl LVI Champion and 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Andrew Whitworth presented Kevin Demoff with his honor in recognition of his civic leadership. Additionally, Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), and Josiah Davis, City Year AmeriCorps member, delivered special remarks.
Other highlights of the evening included a jubilant welcome by City Year AmeriCorps members, a moving video featuring City Year AmeriCorps member Sage Cuza who currently serves at her alma mater NOW Academy in Koreatown, and a powerful spoken word performance by Josiah Davis, a City Year L.A. AmeriCorps member serving at Hollenbeck Middle School in Boyle Heights.
WHO:
Honorees: Octavia Spencer, Kevin Demoff
Presenters: Viola Davis, Andrew Whitworth
Musical performance by Chlöe Bailey
Emcee: Joel McHale
Special Remarks by Tony Vinciquerra and Josiah Davis, City Year AmeriCorps member
Notable attendees included: Tiffany Haddish, Collins Key, Calum Worthy, Yvette Nicole Brown, Samantha Logan, Jessica Marie Garcia, Phil Keoghan, Spencer Neville, Albert Kong, Anais Lee, Mirabelle Lee, Jakari Fraser, Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio, and many more.
Honorary Committee: Stephanie Allynne, Zoey Deutch, America Ferrera, Isla Fisher, Molly Gordon, Phil Keoghan, Collins Key, George Lopez, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Max Minghella, Tig Notaro, Yvonne Orji, Victoria Pedretti, Ben Platt, Justice Smith, Sebastian Stan, Kelly Marie Tran.
Host Committee: Erik Feig (Event Chair), Rich Battista (Board Co-Chair), Dwight Caines, Leslee Feldman, Jennifer Gonring, Andrew Hauptman, Hannah Minghella, Erik Moreno, Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, Chip Sullivan, Fernando Szew, Ali Trustman, Tony Vinciquerra.
City Year is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization with a dual mission: expanding educational equity for students furthest from opportunity and developing diverse leaders through national service. Research shows the more time a student spends with a City Year AmeriCorps member serving as student success coach, the better the student outcomes—academically, socially, and emotionally. A public-private partnership, City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps, operating in 29 U.S. cities with international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Today, 37,000 alums continue to lead and serve where they live and work.
