Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Wilde, Kelly Rowland, Ali Wong and Demi Lovato were among the celebrities who helped 500 underserved Los Angeles students celebrate the holidays Tuesday at BMO Stadium.
Hosted by Baby2Baby and sponsored by Nordstrom, FRAME and LAFC, the event saw children in first through third grades pick out new toys and clothing. A DJ provided pop tunes while Santa Clause greeted everyone as they arrived. There was a hill of fake snow for sledding, and the kids also got the chance to kick soccer balls on the BMO field.
As one kid said as soon as he saw Santa, “This is the best day of my life.”
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Similar events over the years have been held at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium and Dodger Stadium as well as in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
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The celeb volunteers spent time at the toy station helping kids pick out two toys each.
“My heart is so full,” Rowland told me. “It’s our responsibility to make sure that they have smiles on their faces and they have the most basic essential needs.”
Baby2Baby co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein launched the organization 13 years ago to provide children living in poverty in Los Angeles with diapers, formula, clothing and basic necessities. It has since grown to a nationwide network operating in all 50 states, serving one million children with another 10 million on its waiting list.
“When we started, it was the two of us and an intern and we were serving 500 children,” Patricof said. “We had very big dreams and ideas of what Baby2Baby could be and should be because there are so many children who need so much help.”
Weinstein also emphasized that Baby2Baby doesn’t only serve urban areas. “We have a very big focus on rural communities where it’s even harder to get these basic essentials and the prices are even more difficult.”
Rowland recalled times from her childhood when she spent a “night in my mom’s car.” She added, “I know what it feels like to not know if you’re going to get a Christmas.”
When Rowland and her husband became first-time parents to son Titan Jewell in 2014, they showered him with countless toys for Christmas. But they eventually decided it was too much. They now only give two Christmas presents to Titan and his younger brother Noah Jon.
“I was like, ‘We’ve got to settle down and not be raising privileged kids like that,’” Rowland said. “Besides, after the fifth toy, they don’t really care.”
She even tells friends and families “to chill” on the gifts. “I tell them, if they want, they can take the money they were going to spend and donate to a charity in their name or put it in a savings account,” Rowland said.
Baby2Baby has had a regular and constantly growing roster of A-list celebrity ambassadors and volunteers. Lamar attended the holiday event alongside his partner and longtime Baby2Baby supporter Whitney Alford. Rowland got involved with the organization when she became a mom. Most recently, Charlize Theron was honored at Baby2Baby’s annual fundraising gala, which also included appearance by Jennifer Garner, Ciara, Katy Perry, Tyler Perry, Miranda Kerr, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.
“They want to come,” Weinstein said. “They understand what we do. They see it as hands-on, and they think it’s a privilege to be able to stand next to the kids and give them toys and clothes, and access to a soccer stadium to children who should have that chance.”
See more photos from the Baby2Baby Holiday event below.
