Photographs courtesy of CAF.
Nearly 500 guests came together to help raise more than $3 million for the Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) at A Celebration of Will, A CAF Gala to Honor the Legacy of Robin Williams. The inaugural West Coast CAF Gala was held on Saturday, March 7, at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Each dollar raised was matched by an anonymous donor and placed in the Challenged Athletes Foundation Endowment in Memory of Robin Williams, which will fund grants for adaptive sports equipment, training, and competition expenses to challenged athletes for years to come.
“Robin Williams was instrumental in the growth of the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s mission, and he participated in many of the organization’s events over 11 years. He always said it was like coming back to family,” said Jeff Jacobs, CAF board member. “We, as family, feel the depths of his absence but celebrate the legacy he has created through the establishment of an endowment fund, enabling us to lift the burden for others and carry on his commitment to challenged athletes.”
Williams’ three children, Zak, Zelda, and Cody Williams, presented the first grants from the endowment to local challenged athletes, including amputees. Kyla Winters, who lost fingers and both of her legs to meningitis, received Össur running feet, and Juan Carlos Hernandez, who lost his right leg while on tour in Afghanistan, received a new mountain bike.
The Gala was co-chaired by Jeff Jacobs and Jeffrey Essakow, co-owners of Rancho Valencia. Notable guests included Congressman Scott Peters, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, and celebrities and sports legends such as Andre Agassi, Bill Walton, Scott Tinley, and Bob Babbitt.
Highlights of the Gala included dance performances by Amy Purdy, CAF athlete and former Dancing with the Stars participant; a live auction; world-class entertainment; and a moving tribute to the film and comedic career of Robin Williams. Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with challenged athletes and see how their generosity truly changes lives.
For more information about CAF, visit www.challengedathletes.org.