Only Make Believe held its 24th annual gala at the Broadhurst Theatre in NYC on Monday, November 6th. The organization creates and performs interactive theater for children in hospitals, care facilities and special education programs. This evening was all about recognizing those who inspire Only Make Believe with their dedication and philanthropy while also raising funds to support the interactive theater programming.
Brooke Shields on the Blue Carpet
Justin Guarini was the host for the night, while Brooke Shields was honored with the James Hammerstein Award for her advocacy and activism. And for those waiting outside the venue, hoping to see the stars and celebrities up close on the blue carpet, Brooke made a stunning entrance wearing an elegant silver, one-shoulder dress. Her outfit was complemented by glitzy silver heels and clutch. Among the other honorees were Kimberley D. Harris, Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation and General Counsel of NBCUniversal, who received the Only Make Believe Founder’s Award as well as long-time Only Make Believe participant Christopher Christy who won the the Clay Stefanki Award.
Umbrella Lina in Action
The memorable night was complemented by show-stopping performance from J. Harrison Ghee, Jessica Vosk, Brad Oscar, Melinda Doolittle, A.J. Shively and NaTasha Yvette Williams. Another highlight of the evening was the performance by Umbrella Lina, a two times Guinness World Record holder. But most importantly, Only Make Believe raised over $850,000 that night. The organization has served more than 100,000 children since 1999 and these funds are crucial in ensuring that more kids can be served in the future. As host Justin Guarini told Global Glam in an exclusive interview: “Supporting Only Make Believe is about supporting some of the most valuable and vulnerable people in our society – children who are born with severe child diseases – and yet you also get to support an organization that supports fun and play.”
If you would like to support this great organization, please visit onlymakebelieve.org
ABOUT ONLY MAKE BELIEVE
Only Make Believe (OMB) creates interactive theatre with children in hospitals, special education schools, and care facilities. Inspiring joy and imagination, our professional actors engage children with medically fragile conditions and developmental disabilities, fostering social and emotional growth.
OMB is dedicated to the principle that engaging a child’s imagination is a vital part of learning and developing life skills. Our programming empowers children to explore their imagination, engage in critical thinking, and discover the fun-filled experience of expressing emotions through interactive theatre.
