Malibu’s top model Amber Valletta has graced many a magazine cover, but this year she took on a different cause.
She slipped on her swanky Jimmy Choos and made her way to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles. The organization hosted its annual “Accessories for Success” spring scholarship luncheon. The fashionable event was presented by City National Bank and TLC.
The posh afternoon honored Nancy Daniels, president and general manager of “TLC,” with the Excellence in Mentoring Award, and Stephen Galloway, executive editor, features, The Hollywood Reporter with the Innovator Award.
Laura Lizer is the Big Brothers Big Sisters board chair; Rebecca Campbell, Nancy Taylor, Nina Shaw, Kate Nichols, Sandra Stern, Nicole Lorey and Loyola Marymount University served as honorary co-chairs.
Amber, the actress and fashion icon, stepped into the spotlight for the glitzy gathering. She returns for the fifth year as host and welcomed 300 guests.
Highlighting the afternoon was the presentation of scholarships to more than 100 Big Brothers Big Sisters high school seniors and college students. Proceeds from the luncheon support the program’s scholarship fund and college PAC (preparation, access, completion) program.
The afternoon featured a flashy fashion show, with color commentary by actress Kelly Sullivan and featuring “bigs” and “littles” modeling outfits and accessories. Each “big” and “little” selected his or her outfit and accessories from a Goodwill store, with a maximum budget of $30 each, teaching kids the importance of shopping within a budget. Participating “bigs” in the fashion show included: TNT’s “The Last Ship” Travis Van Winkle; KNBC-TV newscaster Kim Baldonado; “Beachbody” celebrity trainer Joel Freeman and “Los Angeles Big Brother of the Year,” police officer Ryan Caplette, a member of the LAPD “Bigs In Blue” program. The program was introduced in December 2016 and has become a red carpet success.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Founded by Walt Disney and Meredith Willson in 1955, the organization is a leading nonprofit in the Los Angeles community.
No doubt about it, education and enrichment for kids is always in fashion.
STEPPING OUT WITH SAM
Longtime resident Sam Elliott is already getting a big buzz for his latest film. The man with the unmistakable gray mustache stars in “The Hero.”
Elliott who made his name and fame in films like “The Big Lebowski” and “Mask,” plays Lee Hayden, an aging golden-voiced Western icon whose best performances are decades behind him. See Sam beginning June 9.