Orange County philanthropists Glenn and Mindy Stearns presented the Life Changing Lives Gala, a tribute to those who serve America and in honor of the men and women who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Over 500 supporters attended the Life Changing Lives Gala in support of three distinguished organizations; Wounded Warrior Project, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and Boys & Girls Clubs Orange County Alliance.
These non-profit groups represent the very best that America has to offer and epitomize the kind of sacrifice and service associated with 9/11 and those who continue to serve America today.
The couple were co-chairs for the 9/11 event held last Friday at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California. Life Changing Lives Gala honored American boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, NASA’s Charlie Duke and Holocaust survivor and Medal of Honor Recipient Tibor Rubin.
Gala Entertainment
After the sun set on an incredible day of luxurious relaxation, the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort hosted the night’s festivities during the Life Changing Lives Gala.
Kicking off the night was the Color Guard of Orange County and Broadway star Jenifer Lewis, who delivered a stirring a cappella rendition of the national anthem. The performance reached its climax as Jenifer sang “Land of the Free” and the American bald eagle Challenger took flight across the ballroom.
Life Changing Lives Gala Highlights
Gala co-chair Mindy Stearns hosted the event alongside Roy Firestone, the renowned and Emmy award-winning journalist.
Highlights of the Gala included inspirational speeches from the event’s honorees; boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, NASA astronaut Charlie Duke (one of 12 men to have walked on the moon) and Tibor Rubin, Holocaust survivor and Medal of Honor recipient.
American Idol Stars
The Life Changing Lives Gala also featured performances from American Idol finalists and favorites Bo Bice, Brooke White and Elliot Yamin. Bo shared stories of his time on the USO Tour and the joy he derived while visiting service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The crowd was riveted by Bo’s performance of American Blood, a song he wrote about his experiences on the USO tour. Brooke took to the piano with songs from her new album as well as the iconic Beatles song, Let it Be. Elliot was accompanied by guitarist Russell Ali as he performed his inspirational Free and multi-platinum hit Wait for You.
A Dance of Support
Offering their support of the gala were So You Think You Can Dance 2008 Winner Joshua Allen and the top female dancer of the 2008 season, Katee Shean. They performed the moving dance piece No Air, a dance that chronicles the story of a service member who receives notice that he’s headed off to war. The dance was choreographed by the Emmy nominated duo of Tabitha & Napoleon D’umo.
St. Regis Spa Gaucin and Vogue Salon
Also lending their support to the Caregivers Day of Appreciation was St. Regis Spa Gaucin and Vogue Salon. The renowned spa and salon provided the guests of honor with everything luxurious, including massages, manicures, pedicures and facials.
Terri Apanasewicz
Before the activities began that night at the Gala, the day began with the Caregivers Day of Appreciation, also hosted by the Stearns in association with P3 Beauty founder and make-up artist to the stars, Terri Apanasewicz. Apanasewicz’s celebrity clients include Cindy Crawford, Bridgette Wilson Sampras and Gisele Bundchen.
Terri Apanasewicz created a day of relaxation and luxury for the wives, significant others and siblings of injured veterans and California firefighters hurt in the line of duty as well as the families of children facing life-threatening illnesses. Terri’s team of Hollywood’s finest treated the guests with makeup application and hair styling.
Prodigal Daughter
Prodigal Daughter was also on hand. The ladies in attendance at the Caregivers Day of Appreciation received high-end gift bags from the fashion line Prodigal Daughter, complete with spa and beauty products in addition to hand dipped chocolate strawberries courtesy of Shari’s Berries.
After Party Entertainment
DJ Logic kept the dance-floor packed during the after party in the St. Regis lounge.
Silent Auction
At the heart of the Life Changing Lives Gala charitable spirit was a silent auction, which featured luxury items and special experiences donated by icons of music, television film and sports.
Geoff Reeves
Former Navy Seal Geoff Reeves, whose auction package included spending the day skydiving and shooting guns with the American hero, received a high bid of $8,500.
The Sopranos
Stars from HBO’s legendary show The Sopranos raised $16,000 by donating a private dinner with many of the show’s cast members, including Tony Sirico, Lorraine Bracco, Steve Schirripa, Michael Imperioli, Vince Curtola and Vincent Pastore.
The Dancers and the Boxer
A truly special moment was the impromptu contribution from So You Think You Can Dance’s Joshua and Katee, who found themselves so moved by the event they returned to the stage and donated private dance lessons. As the bidding escalated, Sugar Ray Leonard delivered a knockout punch by adding a round of golf with the boxing great as well as the chance to wear his Olympic gold medal and heavyweight championship belt. From the dance floor to the boxing ring, it was a perfect collaboration of footwork aficionados and the gift package solicited an incredible bid of $25,000.
Supporting America’s Finest
While exact totals are still being determined, Life Changing Lives proudly estimates the evening’s auction and events raised over half a million dollars, with 200,000 coming from the auction itself. The proceeds from Life Changing Lives Gala will benefit Wounded Warrior Project, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and Boys & Girls Clubs Orange County Alliance.
Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. The organization raises awareness while enlisting public support for the needs of severely injured military men and women. They help severely injured service members aid and assist each other and provide unique programs and services to meet their needs. For more information call 877 TEAM WWP (832-6997) or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Make-A-Wish Foundation, Orange County/Inland Empire:
The Make-A-Wish Foundation serves 69 chapters nationally and 28 internationally and has granted more than 148,000 wishes across the country. Established in 1983, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire has since granted over 3,000 wishes to children in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. To learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org
Boys & Girls Clubs Orange County Alliance:
The Boys & Girls Clubs offers programs and services that promote and enhance a young person’s overall sense of wellbeing, power, usefulness and influence by creating a safe place to learn and grow — all while having fun. The Club truly is The Positive Place For Kids. Boys & Girls Clubs enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. For more information, visit the Boys & Girls Clubs website at www.BGCA.org.
