There must be countless books telling tourists-usually inaccurately-where one might sight a celebrity. Well, a fame-smitten visitor might have thought he or she had died and gone to movie heaven at Sunday’s benefit for the Malibu Foundation for Youth and Families at Granita.
Celebrity supporters of the organization that established the Malibu Boys and Girls Club in 1999 gathered Sunday at the restaurant to raise cash to help the foundation continue offering services to Malibu’s youth.
The cost of sponsoring a teen membership in the organization’s showcase teen center at Malibu High-the starting pledge category-is $1,000 a year for five years. However, lesser contributions are accepted.
“Anything is welcome,” said event emcee and board of directors’ president Laura Stern. Stern’s husband, actor and fellow board member Daniel Stern (“City Slickers,” “Home Alone”), humorously narrated the story of the foundation’s short history to much cheering.
There are higher levels of sponsorship of programs-$5,000 a year for five years-or supporting the building of new facilities at the school ($50,000).
Although 500 teens pay $25 a year for membership in the club, it comes nowhere to covering the $250,000 annual cost for the organization’s programs for teens including drug awareness, self-defense techniques, homework and leadership groups, or providing just space to hang out.
“We have a full year of operating expenses in the bank, but it goes really fast. We want to make sure the club is here forever,” Stern said.
Judging from the level of support already shown, as well as being recognized by the national Boys and Girls Clubs organization with the 2002 Champion of Children Award, her wish may just come true.
In keeping with the promise that the event would last only 60 minutes, everything moved along with an efficiency that would make a Bush White House staffer proud: “You have nine minutes to eat,” announced one of the organizers.
Adding excitement, it was announced that a “guardian angel” had committed to match every cent raised at the event (only the money collected Sunday, not the future commitments). Everyone cheered again and then settled down to the business of writing checks.
Supporters, including Kelsey and Camille Grammer with their daughter, Mason Olivia, came in support of the foundation. Robyn Gibson, the organization’s treasurer, accompanied her husband, actor Mel Gibson, in one of his rare public appearances, looking tanned and terrific in a butterscotch-colored Hawaiian shirt edged with a white flower design. Other founders (who were not at the fundraiser) include Cher, Pierce and Keely Brosnan, and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
The event raised $75,000, which is doubled with the Guardian Angel’s matching funds.