We had a truly splendid time at our annual Kidsave Miracles Gala in Los Angeles!
Love Lives Here and Kidsave Los Angeles Gala
This year, the LA gala was held at the gorgeous Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA.
At Kidsave, we’re all about celebrating the love of family, and this year’s Gala theme was aptly named Love Lives Here.
We began with a lovely reception at the forecourt to Skirball’s Ahmanson Ballroom, where guests arrived dressed to impress. Actor Lindsay Price and her mother, Diane, were some of our guests of honor receiving our Inspirational Voices Award. Her husband, Curtis Stone, was also present (and donated a dinner at his famous restaurant, Maude, in our auction!). Also in attendance were some of the night’s biggest sponsors, Kidsave board members, and some of our Kidsave families and kids.
As people mingled in the courtyard, hors d’oeuvres floated around the room, and a string quartet filled the air with music. When the sun began to set, we drifted into the main ballroom, where everyone was seated for dinner with prime seats for our live program.
Inspirational Voices
Our Honorees, Lindsay and Diane Price, were among our first speakers of the night – introduced by their good friends Amanda Kloots and, via video, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
“I love the work that Kidsave does, and when I heard that Lindsay and Diane were getting their Inspirational Voices Award, I thought, ‘That makes sense,’” said Sarah Michelle. “Kidsave is an incredible organization, and Diane and Lindsay are two incredible human beings.”
Lindsay and Diane took to the stage, with Diane sharing her personal story of adoption. Diane grew up in Korea during the war and was abandoned by her mom at a young age. “After my mother abandoned me and my younger brothers, we ran to an orphanage,” said Diane. “Conditions in the orphanage were poor, but improved, and eventually, I joined World Vision’s Korean Orphanage Choir.” Diane was one of only 30 kids selected for the choir. It allowed her to travel and see the world, including a chance meeting with the Price family. “When my parents first asked to adopt me, of course, I said ‘no,’” Diane said. “I didn’t want to leave my brother behind, but after my second tour, I accepted on the condition that they also adopt my brother. Which they did.”
As she closed her speech, Diane spoke of the importance of love. “My heart had grown numb, but with my family, I let myself go from feeling unwanted,” she said. “I am the product of love and how love creates change and allows life to bloom.”
Lindsay then addressed the crowd, echoing her mom’s sentiments about adoption. “Our family is proof that adoption changes the life of the child and family at the center,” said Lindsay. “It creates beautiful ripples that flow, and that’s why we’re so excited to support organizations like Kidsave who are creating life-changing ripples for older kids in foster care.” (Watch Lindsay and Diane’s speech on our YouTube channel)
The Stories – Ash
The next speaker of the evening was Ash. Ash is one of our Weekend Miracles kids who found a family in Los Angeles.
“Growing up, I had to do everything by myself,” said Ash. “Foster care isn’t easy, and from the time I was born, I was neglected by my biological mother.” Ash doesn’t remember much from that time but retains the feeling of waiting.
“I remember hoping my mom would somehow come back for me and tell me she was sorry.” But, after a few years of foster care, Ash lost hope. “I had to grow up fast to protect myself.”
When Ash joined Kidsave, they didn’t believe a family was in the cards for them.
“My plan was simple: stay in the system until I aged out,” said Ash. “But, after a while, I realized something: I do want a family, someone to celebrate holidays and birthdays with, someone who accepts me.”
Not long after, Ash met Vicky and Lenny at a Kidsave bowling event. “They were so fun and open and accepted me for who I am,” said Ash. It wasn’t long before Ash knew she wanted them to be her family.
“When the foster parents I was staying with gave notice that it was time for me to move, I immediately called my attorney and tried to get placed with Vicky and Lenny,” said Ash. “They had always been so kind to me, and I hoped they’d want me as much as I want them.” And they did!
“The first few weeks were a bit awkward, but we quickly settled in,” said Ash. “And it’s almost been a year since I moved in, and they’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Ash ended their speech with one more surprise: “We’re now in the last phases of finalizing my adoption!” After hearing Ash’s story, the crowd’s excitement couldn’t be contained—they erupted into a standing ovation to celebrate Ash’s adoption journey.
Watch Ash’s full speech on our YouTube channel.
The Stories – Roger
After we heard from Ash, it was time to hear from Roger, who met his family through Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program. Summer Miracles allows older Colombian kids who are orphaned to travel to the U.S. for five weeks in the summer (or three weeks in the winter) and meet potential forever families. While here, they stay with a host family who helps them meet potential adoptive families (and sometimes, the host family adopts). “I first heard about Kidsave’s summer program when I was 14,” said Roger. “I took a chance, joined the program, and flew from Colombia to the U.S. for the first time.”
Of course, the journey from Colombia to the U.S. can make some kids a bit nervous. After all, they’re experiencing a new culture and language barrier, and many have never known life with a family. And it’s a steep learning curve for the host families, too! But nerves quickly make way for all the positives that come with the journey, like experiencing fun firsts, getting to know their host family and much more. Roger’s nerves melted away as soon as he met his hosts at the airport.
“They were holding up a huge welcome sign, plenty of snacks, and even gave me the biggest hug,” said Roger. “They told me how happy they were to see me and immediately made me feel safe.” As the weeks went by with his hosts, Roger experienced something he’d never had before: acceptance. “They were so wholesome and kind, they accepted me no matter who I was and no matter my background,” said Roger. “I never had that before.”
While here, Roger experienced many exciting firsts: his first time eating Chinese food, playing tennis, and walking on snow. But his most important experience was getting to know his family. “When they told me they wanted to adopt me, tears of joy ran down my face,” said Roger. “Now I’m happier than ever, and I’m growing into the best version of myself.”
Today, Roger has big dreams and a family to support him. His next goal is to attend college! When Roger’s speech was done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. He’s a true testament to the power of love in one’s life.
Watch Roger’s full speech on our YouTube channel.
EMBRACE Project
Later in the night, Shantay Armstrong, Kidsave’s Strategic Communications Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, introduced Kidsave’s latest initiative: the EMBRACE Project. EMBRACE, which stands for Enhancing Black Relationships and Creating Equity, aims to help improve outcomes for Black youth in foster care. With the help of a capable and experienced task force, we’ve already completed Phase I of our five-phase project. Along with our task force, we’re fortunate to partner with the Gallup Center for Black Voices and Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption on this venture.
“We are currently gathering qualitative data with a deeper dive into how black families feel about these topics,” said Shantay. “Already, we can see one main takeaway mentorship is a gateway to increase involvement and a pathway to adoption; of course, Kidsave has pioneered this model via our Summer and Weekend Miracles programs, and we are already strategizing how to improve our programming based on these results.”
Live Auction
Following dinner, we stirred up the energy with our live auction. Some thrilling items included a once-in-a-lifetime getaway in Mexico and dinner at esteemed Chef Curtis Stone’s restaurant. The bidding got a little competitive as donors generously fought for the highest bid. We also had some generous matching donations from anonymous donors and sponsors. Together, they raised a substantial amount of money for Kidsave’s programs.
The Night Ends with Song and Dance
Though the program was over, the night was still young. After an emotional evening full of heart-tugging stories, guests were ready to let loose on the dance floor. Kidsave kids, parents, donors, volunteers, and staff danced the rest of the night away in celebration of love and family.
