Penny Lane Centers Hosts Voices Of Our Children Celebration & Fundraising Gala

Penny Lane Centers, one of the oldest and most respected social service organizations in Los Angeles helping over 6,000 at-risk youth and families each month, is celebrating their 50th Anniversary "Voices of Our Children" Fundraising Gala on Friday, October 18th at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood. This year's gala is very special for Penny Lane as it not only celebrates a milestone of 50 years of service helping youth and families in Southern California but will also honor their founder and CEO, Ivelise Markovits with a touching Lifetime Achievement Honor. She will soon be stepping down as CEO and retiring after 50 years of selfless dedicated commitment to our community. It will be a moving and emotionally powerful fundraising event benefiting programs such as their Transitional and Affordable Housing, LGBTQ+ Initiatives and Mental Health Programs to name a few.

This year's gala will include a special honor to the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation and its founders Rosanna, David and Patricia Arquette who are being rewarded Penny Lane's 2019 LGBTQ Advocacy Award for their commitment to physical and mental health care and support of the LGBTQ+ community, most specifically the transgender community. They created this incredible non-profit organization in memory of their late sister Alexis Arquette who passed away from AIDS related complications in 2016.

Penny Lane will also honor Supervisor Kathryn Barger, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 5th District, with the Penny Lane's 2019 Blue Skies Award. Supervisor Barger has been a vocal advocate for the children and underprivileged of her district. She has supported the work of Penny Lane by championing its housing and program initiatives, especially in the Antelope Valley. Kathryn Barger has been an effective, outspoken and vital partner to Penny Lane. Previous Penny Lane "Voices of Our Children" honorees include Louis Gossett Jr., Marg Helgenberger, Alan Rosenberg, David Neuman, Senator Alex Padilla, Chris Schauble, Christine Devine and last year's recipient, social justice leader Mónica Ramírez, who this year will have the distinct pleasure of presenting the LGBTQ+ Advocacy Award to the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation.

Celebrity guests and Penny Lane supporters will enjoy an amazing evening that will be hosted by actress/comedian Sara Rue ("American Housewife") and special performances that include Angel Garcia from America's Got Talent, Luis Angel Garcia, and 3-time Grammy/Latin Grammy winner KC Porter plus many more surprises. Guests will also have the opportunity to give from their hearts to this special organization with a silent and live auction throughout the evening.

Recently Penny Lane hosted their 3rd Annual Garden Party with guest speaker Alexandra Billings. This event collected much needed funds for their LGBTQ+ Initiatives. Penny Lane's 11th annual EDGY Conference will take place at the Skirball Center on Friday November 8th. Tickets are still available at www.edgyconference.com. This one-day-conference was created to build awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices as well as gather resources from leading experts and organizations to create a more supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth and families.

Penny Lane Centers' programs include Foster Care and Adoption Services, Transitional Housing, Mental Health Services, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Transitional Age Youth Drop-In Centers, Parent Training Academy, Permanent Supportive Housing and Embracing Identities, to name a few. For more information on these programs or on Penny Lane please go to www.pennylane.org

For More Information and Tickets to the 50th Anniversary Voice of Our Children Gala: Voices2019.givesmart.com