Red Cross Annual Humanitarian Celebration Honors LA’s Finest Humanitarians - LA Chargers, California Resources Corporation, Dr. Laurence E. Paul
On Friday, March 9, the Red Cross Los Angeles proudly kicked off its
second century of service with the 2018 Humanitarian Celebration, the
premier Red Cross event of the season where Los Angeles and the nation’s
leading business leaders, philanthropists, elected officials, and
celebrities show support of the Red Cross humanitarian mission. This
year’s celebration honored Humanitarian of the Year Dr. Laurence E.
Paul; Humanitarian Company of the Year, California Resources
Corporation; and Humanitarian Organization of the Year, the Los Angeles
Chargers for their distinguished dedication and support of the American
Red Cross.
As Humanitarian of the Year, the Red Cross paid special honor to
Laurence E. Paul, M.D., co-founder and managing principal of Laurel
Crown Partners, for his innumerable and transformational contributions
to the Red Cross. Dr. Paul began his service to the Red Cross when he
was hired to represent the Red Cross in a financial transaction in 1998.
In 2002, he became a member of the national Biomedical Board overseeing
the blood operation that accounted for close to half the nation’s blood
supply. Subsequently, he began his local involvement serving as a board
member in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, Dr. Paul became a
distinguished leader of the national American Red Cross Board of
Governors where he remained until 2017 serving in numerous leadership
capacities including as Vice Chairman since 2008. He was recently the
recipient of the Harriman Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service, the
highest recognition for volunteer service in the American Red Cross.
“The Humanitarian of the Year award represents for me the culmination
of almost 20 years of an extremely rewarding relationship with an
amazing organization that is profoundly changing lives for those in need
through acts of goodness and kindness,” said Paul. “The American Red
Cross serves a central role in disaster relief and blood supply in the
southern California region and nationally. My affiliation with
them on both fronts has been a profound, unique and deeply humbling
experience. I am deeply grateful for this award and all that my
Red Cross experience has provided to my family and me.”
The Spanos family and the Los
Angeles Chargers were recognized as Red Cross LA’s Humanitarian
Organization of the Year for their generous contributions and assistance
in times of crisis. With their return to the Los Angeles area, the
Chargers have wasted little time in displaying the heart and generosity
for which they are known. The Chargers’ compassion begins with the
Spanos family. Beyond making personal donations, the Chargers
organization worked to raise funds and encouraged the team’s fans to
join them in support of the Red Cross during this past year’s natural
disasters. The organization’s financial support to assist Los Angeles
neighbors is clear evidence of its already strong commitment to our
region and a culture of paying it forward.
“Being named Humanitarian Organization of the Year is a tremendous
honor for us,” said Chargers Controlling Owner and Chairman of the Board
Dean Spanos. “My father prioritized philanthropy from the moment he took
ownership of the team and in the decades since, it’s truly become the
heart of who we are as an organization. Being selected for this
recognition is humbling because you don’t reach out to help others in
time of crisis to be recognized; you help them because it’s the right
thing to do. We come together when disaster strikes and
fortunately for us, time and again, the American Red Cross has also been
there to help us get back on our feet. That’s why we give.”
The Red Cross LA also honored the generous contributions of California
Resources Corporation (CRC), the state’s largest independent oil and
natural gas producer, as Humanitarian Company of the Year. From
employee-driven fundraising campaigns, to corporate donations and
thousands of volunteer hours each year, CRC’s engagement has amplified
our relief efforts in a year of challenging natural disasters from
California wildfires to Hurricanes Harvey and Maria. CRC is a longtime
Red Cross supporter in Los Angeles County and across the state. CRC
employees take immense pride in providing safe, affordable and reliable
energy for California by Californians, and in supporting the communities
where they live and work.
“On behalf of the incredible men and women of California Resources
Corporation, it is an absolute honor to be recognized as Humanitarian
Company of the Year,” said Todd A. Stevens, CRC’s President and Chief
Executive Officer. “A humanitarian is a person who promotes human
welfare, going beyond their own circumstance to understand how they can
impact and influence others in positive ways, and our employees embody
those values. The American Red Cross seeks to lift people up in
everything that it does, and we are proud to share that quality by
supporting and lifting working families and providing a path to the
middle class.”
This past several months have seen unprecedented disasters and stretched
Red Cross resources more than ever before, including volunteers. The
American Red Cross Los Angeles volunteers were there - saving lives,
providing comfort, and offering hope when all seemed lost. Along with
our honorees, this year’s Humanitarian Celebration focuses on the
incredible commitment volunteers have made to the Red Cross mission to
alleviate human suffering and provide comfort and care.
The Humanitarian Celebration was attended by a sold-out crowd of more
than 500 guests who enjoyed a live auction and live entertainment from
singer Judith
Hill. Guests included Hollywood talent such as Laura Slade Wiggins,
Danielle Savre and Xolo Mariduena along with Chargers Defensive tackle
Damion Square. The evening concluded with an “After Party” where guests
danced to music provided by DJ Flobito and enjoyed wonderful desserts
and festivities.
The 2018 Humanitarian Celebration was presented by The Walt Disney
Company, supported through generous gifts from: AMPCO Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh Steelers and Wells Fargo along with Ares Management, Bank of
America, Bosse Family Foundation, CareMore Health, Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles, Crenshaw Christian Center, Cloudbreak Health, Edison,
International, Jim Fielding, L.A. Care Health Plan, Los Angeles Rams,
Pam & Jason Lavine, Rita Benson LeBlanc, New England Patriots
Foundation, Richard & Alison Ressler, Fred Rosen, The Ryan Foundation,
Josie Tong, UCLA Health, Jill & Joe Valenti, Walmart and Westfield.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support
to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's
blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international
humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The
Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers
and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For
more information, please visit redcrossla.org
or cruzrojaamericana.org,
or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.
About the Los Angeles Chargers
For 58 seasons, the Chargers have led the fight to stretch the
imagination and give fans the most exciting show in football. Behind the
dramatic games, unforgettable highlights, beloved players,
groundbreaking performances and one of the best uniforms in the NFL lies
an uncompromising drive for success – one rooted in toughness,
resilience and old-fashioned hard work. A charter member of the American
Football League, the franchise was established in Los Angeles in 1960
and called the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home during its first year
of existence. From 1961 to 2016, the team played in San Diego. Advancing
to five of the first six AFL Championship games ever played, the
Chargers claimed the 1963 title and later joined the National Football
League when the two leagues merged in 1970. Since the merger, the
Chargers have gone on to appear in Super Bowl XXIX and have captured an
additional 10 division titles. The Chargers were purchased by
construction leader and real estate developer Alex G. Spanos in 1984 and
have been under the guidance of Spanos’ eldest son Dean, the team’s
current Chairman of the Board, since 1994. Dean Spanos’ sons –
A.G. Spanos, President of Business Operations, and John Spanos,
President of Football Operations – oversee the day-to-day operations of
the franchise. The Chargers returned to Los Angeles in 2017 and will
play all home games at StubHub Center while the new L.A. Stadium and
Entertainment District at Hollywood Park is constructed.
For more information, call 1-877-CHARGERS or visit chargers.com.
About California Resources Corporation
California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) is the largest oil and
natural gas exploration and production company in California on a
gross-operated basis. The Company operates its world class resource base
exclusively within the State of California, applying complementary and
integrated infrastructure to gather, process and market its production.
Using advanced technology, California Resources Corporation focuses on
safely and responsibly supplying affordable energy for California by
Californians.
For more information, please visit crc.com.
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