Baby2Baby celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Saturday at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, raising more than $8.5 million. It’s a new record for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, which provides children living in poverty with essential needs.
Hosted by James Corden, Baby2Baby awarded Vanessa Bryant with its annual “Giving Tree Award” for her support through the years. Bryant, who frequently attended the event in the past with her husband, the late Kobe Bryant, brought along 18-year-old daughter Natalia Bryant as her date.
Donning a pink sequined and feathered Pamella Roland gown, Bryant told the crowd: “I have to start by saying how much I miss my perfect date tonight. My husband Kobe loved attending Baby2Baby galas. With his big smile, he would look at me and say, ‘Babe, this is freaking awesome. Tonight, I’m your plus one.’ He would say, ‘It’s the one event I’m not obligated to do anything. I get to be your date, help families and enjoy great food.’”
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Grammy Award winner Ciara, a close friend of Bryant’s, performed at the dinner party (singing hits “Lose Control” and “Goodies”). Known to offer a large selection of dishes by L.A.’s most famed establishments, this year’s menu — curated by chefs and restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo — included meals by Antico Nuovo, Craig’s, Felix and Tacos 1986. Cocktails were provided by The Hollywood Roosevelt’s The Spare Room.
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The evening, sponsored once again by Paul Mitchell (as well as Tiffany & Co. and Prada, among others), brought out familiar Baby2Baby supporters like Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Kerry Washington, Kate Hudson, Nicole Richie, Mindy Kaling, Julie Bowen and Rachel Zoe.
Garner, Alba, Washington and Hudson — all past “Giving Tree Award” honorees — took the stage together to discuss the organization’s growth and thank Baby2Baby chief executive officers Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein.
Baby2Baby has distributed 200 million items to children in the last decade, said Patricof, with more than 100 million of them provided since March 2020 due to the health crisis. This year alone, the nonprofit received requests for 731 million diapers, six times more than in years past.
Other attendees at the 2021 gala included Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Adam Sandler, Alexandra Daddario, Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore.