At Thursday night’s 25th anniversary celebration of Eric Eisner’s scholarship program YES for disadvantaged and underserved youth, Chuck Lorre made a surprise $1 million donation. The event raised more than $6 million for the non-profit organization.
Hosted by Will Arnett, the event took place at a private club in Los Angeles. Power couple Nicole Avant and Ted Sarandos were honored for their long-standing commitment to education and uplifting Los Angeles’ youth and beyond.
Event chairs Brian and Veronica Grazer presented the duo with the award onstage.
During Avant’s acceptance speech, she spoke on the power of saying “yes” and how her openness has contributed to the longevity of her career as a best-selling author, producer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas.
“We say yes to people, opportunity and being alive,” Avant said. “We say yes to being good and being generous. We say yes to being purposeful and being driven. It’s honestly my favorite word.”
She continued, “Everybody in here who’s been a part of the YES program, I want to salute you for going forward in life and choosing to be disciplined, focused and driven.”
Sarandos followed behind his wife’s speech with similar sentiments, as well as noting how YES’ 25th celebration also aligns with him celebrating 25 years at Netflix.
“People think there’s a lot of power in saying no,” the co-CEO of Netflix said. “It’s actually quite a big weakness to say no all the time. The real power is being able to say yes and figuring out a way to make it work.”
Along with honorees Avant and Sarandos, the room was packed with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
YES founder and president Eric Eisner and his wife Lisa filled the room with high-profile guests like Jennifer Lopez, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, Ashley Olsen, Elizabeth Olsen, Ryan Seacrest, Jason Bateman, Ron Howard and more.
Attendees also heard from YES alumni who shared personal stories about how the program supported their educational and career journeys. The night ended with a special performance from Shaboozey, who performed his hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” as well as “Highway,” and “Good News.”
