Natasha Bedingfield
As the annual FUNraising campaign comes to a close, Paul Mitchell Schools are planning a celebration that will feature Grammy Award nominee Natasha Bedingfield, Happily Divorced co-star Tichina Arnold, as well as other celebrities including Betty White, Fran Drescher, Cookie Johnson (Magic Johnson’s wife) and Kristin Bauer.
Hosted by Paul Mitchell CEO and Chairman John Paul DeJoria and Paul Mitchell Schools Dean and Co-Founder Winn Claybaugh, the FUNraising Gala takes place on May 7 at the Beverly Hilton. Funded entirely by sponsor donations, the Gala will reveal this year’s fundraising totals and top fundraisers while celebrating all 100 schools in the nationwide network for their efforts in the annual three-month campaign.
In the past eight years, students and staff from Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools have raised over $6 million for charities using grass-roots, dollar-by-dollar fundraising events including car washes, cut-a-thons and fashion shows. This year, the network plans to top last year’s record of $1.7 million with a new goal of $2 million.
“In the nine-year existence of the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation and our eight years of FUNraising, every dollar raised has gone directly to the charities,” Claybaugh says. “We have no overhead: no salaries, no rent and no utilities. Our accountants, attorneys and board of directors all donate their time. Even the money raised through our FUNraising Gala ticket sales goes directly to the charities, thanks to our generous sponsors who cover the costs.”
Tichina Arnold
This year’s recipients include Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Morris Animal Foundation, the Magic Johnson Foundation, the Gary Sinise Foundation, Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer Foundation, Food 4 America, Best Friends Animal Society, No Limits, and the schools’ own non-profit Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation. —Aja Edwards