Heal the Bay Blog

Photo by Dan Do-Linh

And just like that another Heal the Bay Gala has come and gone.

Yesterday, Heal the Bay welcomed hundreds of guests to the ultimate beach party. Our annual Bring Back the Beach Gala recognizes the fearless leaders who have helped make real progress toward a healthier natural environment in L.A, and celebrates the victories Heal the Bay has achieved. This year, we honored the eco-accomplishments of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, and the lasting legacy and support of KROQ.

View Gala Photo Gallery

The event started with guests arriving in their white beach-chic attire and walking the signature blue carpet. A mobile tank from Heal the Bay Aquarium offered a deeper look at some local marine animals and wildlife. After a sweet cocktail party, thrilling live auction, and scrumptious dinner and dessert (the donuts!), we danced the night away to the incredible James Gang band, right on the sand and beneath the stars, and guests enjoyed a fun photo booth provided by CEG Interactive.

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Photo by Nicola Buck

K-Swiss, our event sponsor, even announced their sneaker collaboration with us! It was a wonderful night of making waves, celebrating the great work being done, and creating a sustainable water future in L.A. County.

Our wonderful community of supporters also included Bonnie Wright, Harry Potter actor and environmentalist, Ser’Darius Blain, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actor, Jason Lewis, Sex and the City actor and model, Victoria Konefal, Days of Our Lives actor, Andrew Walker, actor, Jackson Dollinger, Disney’s Sydney to the Max actor, and -of course- Amy Smart Oosterhouse and Sharon Lawrence, actors and our Heal the Bay Board Members. And although he could not be in attendance, our long-time friend and wavemaker, Jeff Bridges, also cheered us on with a special video message!

A final thank you to our dynamic team of Heal the Bay volunteers, staff, Board, our incredible photographers, Dan Do-Linh and Nicola Buck, our brilliant event producer Natalie McAdams of NAMEVENTS and all of the gracious staff at the Jonathan Club.

Thanks to ALL of our Bring Back the Beach Gala 2019 Sponsors & Partners

Thank you to our official airline partner, American Airlines

Los Angeles leaders Sheila Kuehl and KROQ to be feted on the sand in Santa Monica

We’re excited to announce our honorees for the Bring Back the Beach Annual Awards Gala 2019 on the evening of Thursday, May 23 at the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica, California. Now in its second decade, Heal the Bay’s Gala has grown into L.A.’s ultimate beach party. Reflecting the eclectic nature of Southern California’s devoted ocean lovers, Heal the Bay will salute the eco-accomplishments of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and “The World Famous KROQ”.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl has a long history of collaboration with Heal the Bay, starting with her days as a California State Senator. Under her fearless leadership in public office, she has made the L.A. region more environmentally healthy and sustainable. She protected the long-term health of the local coastline by co-authoring legislation that created the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission in 2002. Last year, she championed Measure W, a ballot measure that will generate $330 million annually to fund projects that capture stormwater, treat runoff and replenish our local water supply. Measure W passed with a huge 69% majority. This crucial progress toward sustainable water would not have been possible without the leadership and vision of Supervisor Kuehl.

KROQ has given a steady stream of support to Heal the Bay over nearly three decades. As the region’s leading alternative rock music purveyor, KROQ has connected millions of music listeners and concert-goers to the shoreline, to their watershed and to each other. Driven by an unrivaled dedication to the Los Angeles community and culture, KROQ has contributed $1,000,000 to Heal the Bay’s local science-based programs since 1992. Proceeds generated from KROQ Weenie Roast and benefit concerts fund Heal the Bay’s work surrounding plastic pollution, climate change, contaminated seafood and beach safety.

The Gala will welcome 1,000 guests to celebrate on the sand, and under the stars, in support of thriving oceans and healthy watersheds. The event consistently sells out and brings together a lively group of artists, entertainment figures, local government officials and business leaders. At last year’s Gala, Bring Back the Beach partygoers celebrated Mayor Eric Garcetti, Gabriela Teissier, Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik.

This year’s attendees include American Airlines – the official airline of Heal the Bay. The organization is leading the way in their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Group tables and individual tickets are available at www.healthebay.org/bbb.

View Tickets

Download our 2019 Sponsorship Kit, learn more about the event, check out the recap from last year’s Gala, and view more photos from 2018 and 2017.

Please browse Flickr for images from the Gala and our Blue Carpet.

The fates shone on Heal the Bay last night at our annual “Bring Back the Beach” Annual Awards Gala.

After a week of May Gray, the sun gloriously took over at the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica. Under a gentle breeze and the gaze of a beaming lighthouse, more than 700 guests schmoozed on the sand and saluted our honorees: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Univision TV anchor Gabriela Teissier and Hollywood couple and sustainability champions Zooey Deschanel and husband Jacob Pechenik of The Farm Project.

L.A.’s biggest beach party always draws an eclectic crowd — from Venice artists to Silver Lake activists, DTLA policy wonks to South Bay surfers. Buoyed by tasty cocktails (blood orange margaritas!) and good vibes, our guests came out in beach-chic style to support our biggest fundraiser of the year.

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(Photo by Dan Do-Linh)

Thanks to their generosity we met our goals, raising more than one-fifth of our annual operating budget in a single night. Proceeds of the night underwrite a number of programs, from water-quality monitoring to subsidized field trips for underserved youth to visit our Aquarium.

Mayor Garcetti was the undeniable star of the evening. His sincere and humble comments about what Heal the Bay has meant to our city – and to him personally – had the crowd rapt. With his quick wit and clear command of policy, it’s easy to see why he’s a rumored candidate for the 2020 presidency. The Mayor bookended his speech with poems by Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda. Here is the beginning of “The Sea”:

I need the sea because it teaches me.
I don’t know if I learn music or awareness,
if it’s a single wave or its vast existence,
or only its harsh voice or its shining
suggestion of fishes and ships.
The fact is that until I fall asleep,
in some magnetic way I move in
the university of the waves.

In addition to Univision brass, Teissier brought her entire family to salute her longtime commitment to broadcasting stories about ocean and river protection to L.A.’s Spanish-speaking community. Fundraising galas can be long events, so it was endearing to see her sons patiently playing on a jungle gym while waiting for Mom to get her big award. Speaking passionately in both English and Spanish, Teissier recounted stories of her own upbringing and reaffirmed that Latino women have historically stood at the forefront of the environmental movement in Southern California.

Board member and fellow actress Amy Smart welcomed Deschanel and Pechenik to the Heal the Bay family. The couple, who run The Farm Project to better connect consumers directly to the producers of the food, spoke passionately about the growing scourge of plastic pollution in our food chain and greater environment. To cheers, Zooey talked about making smarter choices as consumer: “You weigh the options — single-use plastic vs. a healthy planet … get rid of that single-use plastic! It’s not worth it. It’s convenient filler. It doesn’t do ANYTHING for you. It doesn’t make you laugh or cry!” Well said.

Other supporters making waves: Meg Gill, an HTB board member and founder of Golden Road Brewing, sampling the newly revised version of Heal the Bay IPA with other beer lovers. (Gill is an avid swimmer, who still holds the female record for the fastest 50-meter swim ever recorded in the Ivy League!); Black Surfers Collective leaders Jeff Williams and Greg Rachal charming “Jumanji” co-star Ser’Darius Blain into participating in our upcoming Nick Gabaldon Day; a determined and persistent online bidder from New Jersey who triumphed at our Live Auction to secure a private Goodyear Blimp tour of the Santa Monica Bay.

Major props to the musical talent for the evening – the James Gang. The multi-player party band had supporters boogieing to the very end with their diverse chops, from spirited covers of Dr. Dre to soulful send-ups of Van the Man. They sent many a guest shimmying to their awaiting Lyft rides.

And a deep thank you to our dinner co-chairs: Malibu architect David Hertz and South Bay champion Kim Conant-Blum. Their boundless energy proved to be the ideal one-two punch for a successful evening under the stars.

A final thank you to our dynamic team of Heal the Bay volunteers, staff, leadership, Board, our incredible photographers Colin Young-Wolff, Dan Do-Linh and Nicola Buck, our brilliant event producer Natalie McAdams of NAMEVENTS and all of the gracious staff at the Jonathan Club.