Hilary Swank Honored With The Champion Of Children Award At The 36th Annual Colleagues Spring Luncheon

The 36th Annual Colleagues Spring Luncheon will present philanthropist and two time Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank with The Colleagues Champion of Children Award for her work founding the Hilaroo Foundation and making a lasting impact on the lives of children. Academy Award winning actress and "Matlock" star Kathy Bates will present Hilary with the award.

The Colleagues will also support "The Hilaroo Camp," a summer program hosted by FosterAll that benefits 100 foster youth in Los Angeles. Hilaroo provides hope and healing by pairing foster dogs with these youth in this five day camp that offers bonding, responsibility, and social and emotional learning. This year's Spring Luncheon will also celebrate the Colleagues 75th Anniversary.

The luncheon will take place at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 8th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills) and will include a fashion show from Oscar de la Renta's fall 2025 collection designed by Co-Creative Directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. Journalist and "Entertainment Tonight" co-host Nischelle Turner is hosting.

In 2015, Swank founded the Hilaroo Foundation, a charity that merges her deep love for animals and her commitment to helping at-risk youth. Named after her late dog, Karoo, the foundation connects abandoned animals with disadvantaged youth, fostering mutual healing and emotional growth. Through its programs, which include program-funded summer camps at no cost to the participants, the Hilaroo Foundation provides opportunities for young people to build compassion, responsibility, and confidence while giving animals a second chance at life. Hilary's long-term vision with Hilaroo is to have a dedicated facility that goes beyond the camp-style programming by also providing youth with responsibility training they can use to go out into the world and make it a better place for themselves and also invite the community in by hosting adoption events for animals to find their forever homes.

Actress/Producer Hilary Swank is known for her powerful performances and transformative roles first gaining widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Cry," which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She won a second Oscar five years later for her role as a determined boxer in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby," solidifying her status as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses. In addition to winning Oscars for both of these roles she received two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress and was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005. Swank ventured in producing with the film "Amelia" (2009), "Conviction" (2010), "You're Not You" (2014) and "What They Had" (2018), in all of which she also starred. In 2014 The Petco Foundation honored Swank for her animal advocacy work and in 2015 she received the Compassion Award by the ASPCA. Also in 2015 she founded a non-profit organization, the Hilaroo Foundation, which aims to bring at-risk teenagers and rescue dogs together in the hope that the two can heal each other. She was inspired to create the foundation after rescuing a dog she later called Karoo, after the place in South Africa.

Founded in 1950, the Colleagues, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, are a group of 65 active women and over 25 sustaining members who volunteer their time and expertise to support underserved women, children, and families in Los Angeles. Their mission is funded through sales from the Colleagues Room in Santa Monica, a resale boutique fully staffed by colleague volunteers and their annual Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show, a longstanding social event featuring the Champion of Children award given each year to a renowned honoree. In their efforts to serve Los Angeles' most vulnerable children harmed by community and family violence, abuse and neglect, the Colleagues have raised and donated more than $40 million to numerous organizations including The Painted Turtle a camp for children with life-threatening diseases; Margaret's Place/Safe at Home, founded by Joe Torre and providing psychological support for children who have been exposed to domestic violence; United Friends of the Children helping foster youth in Los Angeles find their true potential despite their circumstances; FosterAll that uses faith-based communities to find foster parents for children in need; and The Teen Project which provides a full-life transformation to prior foster and at-risk young women who have survived human trafficking and homelessness.

Established in New York City in 1965, Oscar de la Renta is one of the world's leading luxury brands. Built on a foundation of femininity, craftsmanship and timeless elegance Oscar de la Renta's designs under the leadership of Co-Creative Directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia embody a dedication to classic form and structure with an unwavering attention to detail. Oscar de la Renta produces a full line of women's Ready-to-Wear, Handbags, Shoes, Jewelry, Bridal, Eyewear, Childrenswear, Home Décor and Fragrance.

Nischelle Turner has won seven Emmy Award's since taking over co-hosting duties of the iconic entertainment news program "Entertainment Tonight" in 2014. Prior to joining "Entertainment Tonight" Nischelle was an entertainment correspondent for HLN's "Showbiz Tonight" and CNN.

The Colleagues Spring Luncheon is being produced by Scott Mauro/Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc for the 15th consecutive year. Tickets can be purchased at Harvin@5bevents.com, as well as inquiries. Jaye Rogovin is the President of the Colleagues and Anne Johnson is the Executive Chair.