|
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF
GREATER LOS ANGELES
HONORS CINDY HOLLAND AT
2017 BIG BASH LIVE WITH
TRAVIS & KELLY CELEBRATION
Kate Mulgrew Presented; Adam
Lambert Special Guest
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 23, 2017) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) honored Cindy Holland, Vice
President, Original Content at Netflix with the 2017 Sherry
Lansing Award at its annual Big Bash gala, October 20, 2017,
at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills. Award recognizes an
individual who provides an inspiring and positive role model to
our city’s youth. The gala raised $535,000 to support BBBSLA
programs.
BBBSLA Board Chair and Big Sister Laura Lizer, along with her
Little Sister Jenny, welcomed the more than 400 guests before
turning the stage over to the evening’s hosts, BBBSLA Big
Brother and star of TNT’s The Last Ship Travis Van Winkle
and BBBSLA Big Sister and star of TLC’s Too Close to Home,
Kelly Sullivan, performing a lively song and dance “riff” on the
jam-packed evening to the tune of “All That Jazz.” Greeted with
thunderous applause, the duo was welcomed back on stage by their
respective “Littles,” Lyrik and Diana.
In celebrating the work of BBBSLA, Kelly stressed the impact the
organization’s programs had in the lives of underserved youth in
Los Angeles. “This year,” she noted, “100% of the girls in the
group’s Women in Entertainment program were admitted to a
four-year university; 96% of the “Littles” in all programs
graduated high school and 94% of those high school graduates
were college bound.”
Singer, song-writer, actor and currently front man for Queen,
Adam Lambert made a surprise appearance, introducing an
inspirational video pegged to the work of BBBSLA with firsthand
testimonials from a host of “Bigs” and “Littles.”
On stage, Big Sister Tracey Underwood, a senior vice-president
at ABC Signature Studios and her Little Sister, Amanda Cornish,
a BBBSLA Posse Foundation scholar and currently a freshman at
Pepperdine University, movingly detailed their own experiences
and the life-changing impact that being a part of the
organization has made in each of their lives.
Big Brother Kevin Asprer, his Little Brother Bryce and Bryce’s
mother Jackie Ball, walked the audience through the dynamics and
interaction between “Bigs,” “Littles” and parents.
Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Luq Watkins and Officer
Ryan Caplette, both Big Brothers, detailed the year-old “Bigs in
Blue” program which connects youth and police in one-on-one
mentoring, with the goal of building strong, lasting
relationships between law enforcement and the families they
serve. “Los Angeles is a city where there is a tremendous need
for community-based mentors,” said officer Watkins, “Many of the
young people participating in our programs struggle with
challenges in their homes, neighborhoods and in their schools.
Poverty, gang violence, living with a single parent or no parent
at all are just a few of the difficulties they face. We have
the power to transform a child’s life for the better and help
them reach their potential.”
BBBSLA Director of Development, Jovan Bowles introduced “Orange
Is the New Black” co-star Kate Mulgrew who presented the 2017
Sherry Lansing Award to Netflix VP, Cindy Holland, calling
her not only a “creative savant,” but “a fierce advocate for the
LGBT community, GLAAD, the Motion Picture and Television
Foundation and to the young girl seated next to her this
afternoon to whom she is a mentor, a beacon and a Big Sister.
This is Cindy who rises above the rest, because she cannot and
will not be less than she is.”
In accepting her award, Holland referred to her Little Sister,
Karen. “It is clear to me that Karen already has that essential
fire within, the thing that cannot be bought, nor can it be
taught. The power of Big Brothers Big Sisters is that we get to
help stoke that fire and encourage these young adults to dream
as big as their imaginations will allow. It reminds all of us
to dream big too…for ourselves, for them and for bright futures
togethers.”
The evening also featured both silent and live auctions along
with an after-party showcasing DJ Derek. Event sponsors
included: Mazda, Netflix, Wedgewood and Roy P. Disney,
great-nephew of BBBSLA co-founder, Walt Disney.
About Cindy Holland
A 15-year Netflix veteran, Cindy Holland is responsible for
acquiring and launching original series for the more than 104
million Netflix members worldwide. Under her purview, Holland
and her team have launched award-winning and critically
acclaimed projects that span drama, comedy, family/young adult,
documentaries, stand-up specials and docu-series. Previously,
Holland oversaw domestic television licensing for Netflix, after
starting her career at the company in DVD acquisition. She is a
graduate of Stanford University. An avid cyclist, she has
completed the 545-mile AIDS Lifecycle HIV/AIDS fundraising ride
ten times to support the Los Angeles LGBT Center. She also
supports GLAAD, the MPTF Foundation, Exploring the Arts and The
Saban Community Clinic. For the past year, Holland has been a
mentor in the BBBSLA Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program
in partnership with The Hollywood Reporter to her Little Sister
Karen.
"Like many women in our
industry, I have long looked up to Sherry Lansing as both an
industry pioneer and as a role model for advocacy,” said
Holland. “It is humbling to receive an award in her name, and
it carries a responsibility I will try to honor in return. It
has been gratifying to be involved in BBBSLA and a real joy and
privilege to be a mentor to Karen; both are relationships I hope
to have for a lifetime."
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles
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. Many of the youths in this
program come from extremely challenging circumstances at home,
at school or in their neighborhood, yet they have enormous
potential. With the support of their mentors, these students are
beating the odds in BIG ways – many of them being the first in
their family to go to college. Founded by Walt Disney and
Meredith Willson in 1955, BBBSLA is a leading non-profit in the
Los Angeles community. To learn more, visit
www.GoBigLA.org,
follow on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/bbbsla,
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/bbbsla
and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/bbbsla.
|