Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Blake Shelton among celebrities supporting weeklong celebration and fundraiser
By Kerry Slater
With support from celebrities including Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, Venice Family Clinic says it met its $1 million fundraising goal as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration.
“From the big to the small, the show of support from of our community touched our hearts. We had participants from all walks of life take action, from college students to retirees, and clubs to church groups, to help our patients live better lives,” Venice Family Clinic said in a blog post recapping the event.
October 12 marked the 50th anniversary of when Venice Family Clinic first opened its doors. To mark the milestone, the non-profit held a weeklong celebration. Festivities began on October 11 with a star-studded celebration hosted by Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg in a virtual live stream event. In addition, Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton treated the event with music, and several other celebrities showed their support as well, including Jason Alexander, Anjelica Huston, Molly Shannon and Ray Romano.
The Clinic then hosted a Week of Action to encourage supporters and advocates to help celebrate the 50th anniversary by giving back to the community. The clinic created an Action Pack as a guide for simple, fun and inspiring ways for people to volunteer their time, donate to fund and provide essential items for programs and services and to engage in issues important to patients.
Venice Family Clinic says it received nearly 100 pledges to take action, about 450 donated personal hygiene kits and almost 200 items were purchased off its Amazon Wishlist – benefitting several programs, including Pediatric Literacy, Homeless Health Care and Dental. Hundreds of supporters also generously made donations, helping the clinic successfully meet a $1 million goal that will be matched.
“During the pandemic, it is so important to take action and give back to the community,” said UCLA student Joyce Zhang, who organized the university’s Students vs Pandemics and Association of Chinese Americans organizations to assemble and donate 400 personal hygiene packs for our patients experiencing homelessness. “We are stronger when we work together.”
