Get your ticket and mark your calendar!

Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC

Tickets on Sale for Gala 2023

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Looking Back at Gala 2022

About Our Gala | Honorees | Host Committee | Sponsors | Donate

Gala 2022 Our Youth Matter Sizzle Reel

The entire LAYC team would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all of our attendees, sponsors, honorees, LAYC ambassadors, and individual donors who made this year's Gala possible!

A special thanks also goes out to our Board and Host Committee members for their tremendous support leading up to this event, which featured inspiring stories and engaging performances by LAYC youth.

If you missed Thursday night's program, you can view photos of the program or watch the replay of the livestream below!

Congratulations again to our 2022 gala honorees, Ryan Palmer, Arlene Kogod, and Dweck Philanthropies. It was so great being able to celebrate with you!

Thank you all for your compassion and belief in our mission of lifting up youth to become healthy and thriving adults.

Our Honorees

Ryan Palmer

Director of DC Community Initiatives,
A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

&

LAYC's First Annual Arlene Kogod Philanthropic Legacy Award Presented To:

Arlene Kogod

Philanthropist,
Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation

Listen to these remarks from a few of our Gala Sponsors!

About Our Youth Matter Gala

Our guiding principle over the past two years is that underserved youth and families must be treated with dignity and respect, and have access to basic needs.

When life as our youth and families had known it came to a halt, providing a path forward was critical to protecting our shared dreams and well-being. Our communities were already dealing with long-standing inequities, and the pandemic only intensified economic stresses, health disparities, and racial inequalities.

Amidst this disruption, LAYC offered food and rental assistance, connections to online learning, access to mental health resources, and much more. As in-person programming shifted online, staff worked tirelessly to create safe spaces where youth could have a sense of belonging.

We never closed our doors.

It wasn’t easy. We had to make many tough decisions, but staying connected to youth and families has always been our greatest priority.

Youth showed extraordinary resilience, adapting and continuing to work toward their goals.

We’ve experienced a lot of loss, and healing takes time. As we continue to care for one another, we honor where we’ve been. It’s no small feat that we’re still standing strong. There is much work ahead.

LAYC will continue to give hope to our youth and families, matching the increasing challenges our community is facing as we work towards recovery. With your support, together we can build a brighter future: together we will be able to provide a path forward.