Gold Meets Golden raises $50,000 for Angel City Sports with the help of Nicole Kidman, Taron Egerton and more.
By Heather Newgen
Award season is in full swing and Los Angeles is buzzing with celeb sightings and swanky soirées. Hollywood insiders begin the festivities shortly after New Year's and attend parties nonstop until Oscars. While it's always a good time, some like Gold Meets Golden are taking the opportunity to raise awareness for charitable causes.
Gold Meets Golden is an annual brunch, which brings together Hollywood’s elite with top athletes to celebrate sports and entertainment. For the last seven years, the lavish event has attracted A-listers to help fundraise for Angel City Sports, a Los Angeles organization that fosters young athletes with disabilities with the resources, coaching and equipment they need to train as future adaptive Paralympic hopefuls.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Angel City Sports attends GOLD MEETS GOLDEN 2020, presented by Coca-Cola, BMW Beverly Hills And FASHWIRE, and hosted by Nicole Kidman and Nadia Comaneci, At The Virginia Robinson Gardens And Estate on January 04, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Gold Meets Golden)
“This year we really wanted to encourage the celebrities and athletes to participate in ways where they knew exactly how they were helping Angel City Sports. So we set up eight “Charity Donation Stations” on behalf of each of our brand partners, with an activity and Charity Reward that somehow fit their category. Each station also featured a picture of Angel City Sports in action. For example, FASHWIRE donated a proper piece of adaptive apparel or uniform for everyone that participated in their Fashion Show. BMW Beverly Hills donated the cost of a racing chair for each celebrity that signed their gold M8 series car," Charley Cullen Walters, co-founder and producer of Gold Meets Golden," told The Voluntourist.
He added, "Babolat covered a registration fee for everyone that tried our Wheelchair Tennis; Ghost Democracy covered a registration fee for a child for Angel City Games for everyone that tried on their pin; Coca-Cola and Wheaties helped out with food and beverage costs. It was a great new way to encourage participation while providing education about the amazing impact and specific programs that this charity has to offer. All in all, we were able to raise over $50,000 , which is equivalent to helping around 200 participants with their registration fees, equipment, uniforms and food / beverage costs they need for the Angel City Games next July. "
Highlights of the event included a moving rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" was performed by award-nominated Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, The Color Purple). A second special performance introduced by Coldplay's Chris Martin featured The X-Factor's Emmanuel Kelly, who honored the Paralympic community with his new song "Never Alone." (Kelly's brother is a record-holder Paralympic swimmer for Australia). Wheelchair Dance Troup The Rollettes joined Emmanuel with an inspiring choreographed routine.
The star-studded bash was attended by Nicole Kidman, Chris Evans, Naomi Watts, Rami Malek, Taron Egerton, Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Matt Bomer Kick Off the New Decade by Celebrating Legend Decorated Athletes Nadia Comaneci, Greg Louganis, Ian Thorpe, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Apolo Ohno, Edwin Moses, Al Joyner, Christian Yelich, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Roderick Townsend, Willie Gault, Dara Torres, Dalilah Muhammad, David Wagner, John Naber, Donna De Varona, Mallory Waggemann, Candace Cable and Many More Olympians and Paralympians at the Virginia Robinsons Gardens & Estate in Beverly Hills.
And of course no party is complete without an extravagant gift bag, Upon exit, lucky attendees of Gold Meets Golden 2020 left with a jam-packed Gold-Medal Rolling Gift Bag from the Mr. Morris Foundation valued at over $10,000. Items included a Sanchaya Indonesian Resort Plush Robe and 5-night Resort Stay, Coca-Cola Commemorative Toyko 2020 smartphone wallet BMW Beverly Hills mini Golf Kit, Craig Shelley Beverly Hills Elegant Timepieces golden watch and cufflinks, Herradura Tequila Ultra Anejo Bottle with Commemorative Gold Meets Golden Medal, Ghost Democracy Full Clean Skincare Kit, TONAL Fitness $500 coupon and Blender bottle, J'Adore Les Fleurs Everlasting Golden Flower Arrangement, UNIQLO Golden ultra-lightweight down jacket, CBDfx Hydrating CBD Mask and Muscle Balm, Rosetta Stone 24-MONTH access card for learning a new language, GOLI Nutirtion Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, Paul Mitchell Sugar Cream, Sugar Day Cleanse and Sugar Spray Collection, Wheaties Commemorative USA Women’s Soccer Champions Box, UR+H CBD Fire and Ice roll-on and Peppermint lotion, Golden Door Full luxury body skincare kit + Gift Card to a 5 night stay at their resort spa, Cann Deux Full Spectrum CBD serum Le Grand Courtage Brut Rose Wine bottle, beatsbydre Golden Edition Headphones, The Giving Keys Rose Gold Mini Key Pendant Necklace, Magna Carta Wealth and Owen, Patterson and Owen complimentary consultations, and Official Limited Merchandise for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.