Rosie's Theater Kids 13th Annual Gala

On September 28th, guests gathered at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square in support of Rosie’s Theater Kids, an organization dedicated to providing a nurturing environment for kids from underserved communities who love the performing arts.

Since its founding in 2003 by Rosie O’Donnell and Lori Klinger, RTKids has served and enriched the lives of students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate in and experience theater. This particular event gives the teens a chance to show off all they’ve learned in the program and perform in front of hundreds of people.

Besides offering personalized training in the arts, RTKids also invests in the students’ academic future by providing academic tutoring and college application guidance among other things.

In addition to giving these kids an amazing opportunity to show off their skills, this year’s gala also honored philanthropist John Catsimatidis and his wife, Margo, as well as seven-time Grammy award winner Gloria Estefan. Other celebrities in attendance included Tony award winning actor BD Wong, On Your Feet! actress Ana Villafañe, business mogul Randi Zuckerberg, and many more.

Even if you didn’t have a chance to go to the gala, you can still help raise money to support Rosie’s Theater Kids by bidding on items from their online auction. Experiences you can bid on include two orchestra tickets to Hamilton and a chance to meet Javier Muñoz after the show, two tickets to School of Rock and a backstage tour from bass guitarist Evie Dolan, and the opportunity to see On Your Feet! with Gloria Estefan and meet the cast backstage after the show.

Photos courtesy of Rosalie O’Connor.