The Society for Young Professionals (SYP) made giving fun on Saturday, May 19 at the Hollywood Plaza with their 3rd annual benefit gala. SYP is a remarkable non-profit organization, designed to create a network of distinguished professionals by promoting philanthropic causes through charitable events.
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The organization’s goal is to offer young professionals with an attractive and appealing opportunity to contribute their resources to a charitable cause, in the hopes of ultimately instilling and inspiring a strong sense of commitment to philanthropy in the next generation of professionals. This year’s gala proved to be a great success, raising over $65,000 through events and sponsors. Mona Kerendian and Dina Rezvanipour were the event planners of the gala and Executive Vice President of SYP, Joey Miller, served as speaker for the evening. The evening’s entertainment features a live DJ, dance floor, live drums, a performance by Reid De Fever and his high-energy Dharma drum show and a silent art auction which raised $3,500 alone!
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The gala also included a variety of food, as well as desserts and refreshments for guests. Food was provided by SALT Catering and dessert was supplied by Boule, both were sponsored. Alcohol and drinks were provided by a variety of companies including Bud select, Steaz, Bubbly, Honest Tea, Stockholm Krystal Vodka, Veev Vodka, Izze Drinks, Mammoth Water and Function Drink.
Guests were also treated with an SYP gift bag which featured tons of goodies including 944 magazine, Partow Gallery gift certificates, Life Coaching from Leslie Gayle, Theodore Leaf Salon gift certificates, O.P.I Nail polish, Beverly Hills, Mercedes Benz pens, Function Drinks, Steaz energy, Pink Vodka and a Chocolate Tanning gift Certificate.
The proceeds from this year’s gala will benefit two different causes: Camp Kesem as well as Aviva Family and Children’s Services. Camp Kesem is a college-student run summer camp for kids with a parent who has or has had cancer. The goal of this week-long sleep-away camp is to provide the campers with a fun-filled week where they can just be a kid, while also receiving the extra attention they need. Giving kids the opportunity to share lots of laughs as well as emotional support.
Aviva Family and Children’s Services is a non-profit agency that provides a comprehensive range of therapeutic as well as educational programs for at-risk, emotionally-distressed, abused or neglected adolescents and their families in order to help them develop the skills and strengths necessary to enhance individual and family functioning. Aviva serves the greater Los Angeles area and provides necessary services such as residential treatment, community mental health services, family preservation, after-school care, special education and foster family placement.
The Society for Young Professionals started out with a bang when it made its debut in 2005 with its first annual charity-fundraiser, raising $30,000 for education, rehabilitation and emergency relief causes. That same year SYP held their Philanthroshop event on September 11th and raised $6,000 to help victims of terrorism. And at last year’s gala the organization raised a remarkable $60,000 which went to the American Jewish World Service for a grant benefitting victims of the genocide in Darfur.
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The Society for Young Professionals encourages ambitious, motivated and affluent 21 to 30 year-old professionals to become socially conscious and active in various causes and charities. All event sponsors were acknowledged on all of the marketing materials for the organization including website, t-shirts and email promotions. The society also provides a number of ways for individuals and companies to become a sponsor whether it is donating pieces for the gift bags, contributing a specific monetary amount or covering a particular cost such as decorations.
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If you missed this year’s event don’t fret, just visit the Society for Young Professionals website at www.philanthropysociety.org and find out how you can get involved!
GIVE. Cuz it’s good for you.
