Steve Hightower's Thriving Children Gala at the FOX

I've had the pleasure of attending Steve Hightower's Thriving Children Gala event in the past so I can attest that this is one night of fashion and philanthropy not to be missed! The Fox Theater is fabulous enough, but on this night, it's over-the-top. The silent auction offers a wide selection of the most desirable products and exclusive packages. The fashion show is truly a SHOW! It goes beyond clothes, at times pulls at your heart strings and always entertaining, exceeding the boundaries of creativity.

I must say a few words about Steve Hightower. Steve is one of the kindest people I know. He's a sweet, compassionate and generous man with a heart of gold. Guests of the Thriving Children Gala are there to support Steve as much as they're there to support the cause. He's a good man doing great things.

2015 Highlights

from Thriving Children Gala

Karyn Greer & Steve Hightower

Join the festivities on Friday, April 29th at the Fox Theatre for another wonderful night of entertainment and giving back! The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a silent auction along with music played by Sentimental Journey Orchestra followed by the fashion and hair show. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Thriving Children Gala benefits Lost n Found Youth - Purchase Tickets HERE!

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Stars Celebrate The Dizzy Feet Foundation 5th Annual 'Celebration of Dance' Gala

Dancer Jonathan Platero and Elizabeth Berkley perform onstage at the 5th Annual Celebration of Dance Gala presented By The Dizzy Feet Foundation at Club Nokia. (All photos by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Dizzy Feet Foundation.)

 Founders of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman.

Jenna Elfman

Paula Abdul

 Dancers perform West Side Story Original Prologue onstage at the 5th Annual Celebration of Dance Gala.

Christina Applegate and bassist Martyn LeNoble

Dancers Fabrice Calmels and Victoria Jaiaini of Joffrey Ballet

Actress/dancer Jenna Dewan-Tatum

Fabrice Calmels and Victoria Jaiaini of Joffrey Ballet

Paula Abdul on the Red Carpet

Ben Vereen

Jonathan Platero & Elizabeth Berkley

Actress/dancer Jenna Dewan Tatum and dancer/choreographer Travis Wall perform onstage at the 5th Annual Celebration of Dance Gala presented By The Dizzy Feet Foundation at Club Nokia.

Elizabeth Berkley

Jenna Dewan Tatum and dancer/choreographer Travis Wall

Lance Bass and founder of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Adam Shankman

Channing Tatum and his wife actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum

Channing Tatum, his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum & Paula Abdul take 'selfies' with guests.

Rachel Boston

 Dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss

Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman with actress Emmanuelle Chriqui

The Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) presented the fifth annual "Celebration of Dance" Gala at Club Nokia last week in Los Angeles. Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Christina Applegate, Jenna Elfman, Paula Abdul, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Billie Lourde, Joely Fisher, Lance Bass, Elizabeth Berkely, Tara Lipinski, Allison Holker, Rosalyn Sanchez, Eric Winter and Ben Vereen were among the celebrities that came to support DFF, a non-profit organization founded by Nigel Lythgoe (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and director Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Rock of Ages), whose mission is to sponsor, fund and/or support access to and the quality of dance education programs that expose children in low-income areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education in the United States.

The evening was filled with exciting performances by Jenna Dewan Tatum with dancer and choreographer Travis Wall (So You Think You Can Dance); Elizabeth Berkley; Kim Eung Hwa Korean Dance and Performance Arts Academy; Body Traffic; Academy of Villains; Joffrey Ballet Dancers Fabrice Calmels and Victoria Jaiani; Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer and Sara "Lil Mini" Pheonix; and the Lulu Washington Dance Theatre and Dancer's Inc. Additionally, there were special performances from DFF Community Program recipient San Pedro City Ballet and a piece created by Stacey Tookey especially for the evening and performed by DFF Scholarship recipients. 

All proceeds from ticket sales benefited The Dizzy Feet Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: to sponsor, fund and/or support dance education programs that expose children in low-income areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education through and with local community organizations; to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios or institutions; and in conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States.

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Viktor Luna GALA f/w 2013

[caption id="attachment_20154" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Viktor Luna. Gala 2013"]

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Fashion designer

Viktor Luna

turned up the glam to full throttle for Fall/Winter 2013. He's dolled up that rock & roll sophisticate he's known for and sends her uptown for an elegant evening at the theater. Or a gala. Exquisite tailoring and meticulous bead work make this collection a red carpet must-have. Lace, satin and ostrich feather combine to emphasize modernity while maintaining a classic silhouette. View Collection: 

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Jaden's Ladder Gala 2010

Clacking Louboutins, dapper dudes and lots of Grey Goose kept everyone happy, bidding and dancing. The Jaden's Ladder Fairway Event Gala, hosted at Mason Murer Fine Art last Saturday, had enough sparkle to light up the sky like fireworks.  The dinner gala delivered an uber swanky, fun-filled evening including celebrities, silent and live auctions and Jermaine Dupri spinning at the turn table.

The evening's glitz was just the wrapping for a very important purpose, which was to raise funds, about 100K reportedly, for

Jaden's Ladder

.

Jaden, which means

"God has Heard"

and Ladder, in this case, used metaphorically to symbolize

"climbing to new heights"

is a non-profit that was established to aid and support women who have been victimized by domestic violence. Jaden's Ladder offers guidance and specialized programs to help women gain strength and confidence as they mainstream back into society and the work force.

A couple of Jaden's "graduates" spoke passionately and eloquently about their personal turmoil while in hostile relationships, how they got out  and the recovery process facilitated through Jaden's Ladder. It was inspiring to hear them speak because their testimonials really put a face and a human touch to the non-profit.

[caption id="attachment_5483" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Jaden's Ladder Founder, Oneta Bobbett."]

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A truly lovely human being, filled with so much good and love, Jaden's Ladder Founder,

Oneta Bobbett

. The energy you feel when around Oneta is so positive that you can sense it. She started Jaden's Ladder is a product of her own life experiences and she now touches, changes and enriches so many lives.

[caption id="attachment_5484" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="L-R; Brian McCann, Nicole & Andruw Jones, Ashley McCann."]

[/caption]

Former Atlanta Braves Center Fielder,

Andruw Jones

and his wife

Nicole

(dynamite in Gucci!) have been great supporters as Ambassadors of Jaden's Ladder. Onstage with them are Braves Catcher

Brian McCann

with his wife on the other end,

Ashley

.

[caption id="attachment_5485" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Charles Oakley, Jamie Annarino, Kevin Willis."]

[/caption]

Jamie Annarino

of Red Clay PR is comfortably nestled between the towering

Charles Oakley

and

Kevin Willis

. This is the fourth year Jamie handled the pr for Jaden's Ladder. She too is a great supporter of the mission and really out did herself in making this year's event so remarkable.

[caption id="attachment_5486" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Jenn Hobby, Suchita Vadlamani, Bert Weiss."]

[/caption]

The Bert Show's

Bert Weiss

and

Jenn Hobby

, along with Good Day Atlanta's

Suchita Vadlamani

, emceed the evening's presentation and added their own shine to the cause.

[caption id="attachment_5488" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Jermaine Dupri in action at Jaden's Ladder!"]

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[caption id="attachment_5489" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="Soon to be married Jenn Hobby and Grant Rivera."]

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[caption id="attachment_5490" align="aligncenter" width="382" caption="My lovely date for the evening, Ellen Harden."]

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[caption id="attachment_5491" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Another very lovely lady, CNN's Richelle Carey. (I'm a big fan!)"]

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[caption id="attachment_5492" align="aligncenter" width="388" caption="Bert & Stacey Weiss. They looked great!"]

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[caption id="attachment_5494" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="American Idol's Anoop Desai, who is out promoting his single, All Is Fair, made a special appearance at the Gala."]

[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5495" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="A good capture of the overall feeling of Jaden's Ladder Gala, good fun for a great cause. Oneta Bobbett and Teresa Caldwell share a moment."]

[/caption]

*all photos courtesy of Andrew Wicker

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