SPOTTED: Busy Philipps, George Lopez, Debby Ryan and Diane Ladd, joined by Tia Mowry, Dolvett Quince, Lori Laughlin and Lisa Vidal at the Paley Media Center in Beverly Hills to support the children in crisis and their families served by Hollygrove, a private nonprofit.During the festivities which were held on March 18, 2014, more than $200,000 was raised to help local youth overcome trauma and succeed in school.
“The Norma Jean Gala” was named for the agency’s most famous former resident. The event was hosted by Busy Philipps, George Lopez, Debby Ryan and Diane Ladd. Busy served as the night’s Master of Ceremonies. Ruby Stewart, daughter of Rod Stewart and Kelly Emberg, performed several songs with help from children in the Hollygrove choir.
Here are some fun items from the evening:
-Busy Philipps having a quick catch up session on the red carpet with Debby Ryan, who wanted to know all about her baby (since Busy was pregnant at last year’s Norma Jean Gala).
-George Lopez, upon arriving with his belt unbuckled, commenting that he got dressed in the car on the way over, and that it’s not the first time he’s arrived at an event that way…
-Busy talking about her 8 month old baby and how she’s not quite crawling yet, but rather “land swimming.” Apparently she’s on the move, and she gets around pretty well this way.
-Debby Ryan, who was there with boyfriend Josh Dun, explaining her evening attire as “Jessica Rabbit meets Marilyn Monroe” – a perfect combination for the Norma Jean Gala.
-George Lopez making a generous move during the live auction to double his donation – which garnered a whopping $30,000 for the worthy cause!
Hollygrove is a non-profit organization that helps children recover from trauma, abuse and addiction, and ensures that families thrive. “The Norma Jean Gala,” the agency’s signature fundraising event, featured an exhibit of the creative work done by youth in Hollygrove’s “Endless Summer” after-school program. This year, renowned artists, Rena Small, Zhenya Gershman and Hieronymus collaborated with the children on pastels, mixed media and photography that were auctions during the event. Guests met some of the young artists and experienced first-hand the therapeutic benefits of art. The exhibit was made possible by the Max Factor Foundation.
Photo credit: Parisa Michelle/CelebMagnet Photos