Thank you for being Fearless for the Future
with Shine Global at our 2026 Gala!

What an incredible night. We gathered with a sold-out crowd at City Winery for our Fearless for the Future Gala, raising critical funds to support Shine Global’s mission and celebrating the remarkable young people, filmmakers, and partners at the heart of our work.

Throughout the evening, we reflected on what it means to be fearless for the future. The stories we heard were a powerful reminder that fearlessness doesn’t mean having no fear. It can mean imagining something better, having the courage to speak up, staying curious, finding resilience through challenges, and holding onto the conviction that change is possible. Those qualities are at the heart of so many of the young people whose stories we are privileged to share, and they continue to inspire how we approach our own work.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person, bid in the auction, raised a paddle, made a gift, or supported the evening from afar. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue creating and championing powerful stories that center children’s voices, bring important issues to wider audiences, and inspire meaningful action.

We are especially grateful to our host, Mike O’Malley; our fabulous auctioneer, Jacqueline Towers-Perkins; our Shining Example Honoree, Chelsea Toler; and our Youth Activist Honorees, Sam and Noor. We were also so honored to hear from Maison and Denali, and to celebrate Oliver, Casey, Chad, and Willa from this year’s Resilience Awards Grand Prize-winning film, Kids Like Me.

And a special thank you to our co-founders, Susan MacLaury and Albie Hecht, our filmmakers and changemaker partners, and everyone who helped make the evening possible.

If you weren’t able to join us — or didn’t get a chance to give — there’s still time to support Shine Global. Every contribution helps us bring more child-centered stories into the world and connect them with the audiences and communities that can help create change.

You can see photos from the evening at https://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-images/entertainment/event/shine-globals-annual-gala-fearless-for-the-future/776566678

Thank you to our sponsors