Annenberg Foundation Chairman, President and CEO Wallis Annenberg was honored with the Humanitarian Award from the Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai at their annual Spring Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
More than 500 attendees turned out to recognize Wallis’ contributions to philanthropy in Los Angeles and beyond, including Women’s Guild President, Gina Furth, actress Kristen Bell, and many others.
Vanity Fair chronicled the event and spoke with Wallis beforehand about the focus of her philanthropy.
The event featured a video portrait of Wallis’ work – narrated by Kristen Bell – with interviews from longtime friends, colleagues, and grantees highlighting some of her most impactful projects.
Hammer Museum Director Ann Philbin introduced Wallis and spoke about their 24-year friendship.
Wallis addressed the crowd and spoke about her philanthropic priorities, with a particular focus on supporting older adults. She then surprised the crowd by announcing a $1 million gift to the Women’s Guild Neurology Project to help advance understanding of complex neurological disorders.
“I’ve been a patient at Cedars myself, the vast majority of my friends and family have passed through its doors. I’ve always tried to support the most innovative local institutions, the things that make L.A. the very best it can be, as well as national and global ones. Cedars is at the very top of that list,” Wallis said.
