Hollywood and Broadway stars are teaming up on Monday, May 17th to celebrate the resilience of the young people experiencing homelessness at Covenant House, the international charity providing housing, food and healthcare to children and youth facing homelessness.
In a special virtual concert sponsored by Kia, titled Night of Covenant House Stars, powerhouse performers from Hollywood to Broadway are uniting to sing and share a message of inspiration.
The concert will be co-hosted by six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and CBS “60 Minutes” Correspondent John Dickerson, both members of the Covenant House Board of Directors. The theme of the gala is, ‘Stand Up, Stand Strong,’ and will recognize and celebrate the resilience of young people experiencing homelessness and the heroism of frontline staff working 24/7 to keep them safe during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Night of Covenant House Stars will be streamed on CovenantHouse.org, Amazon Prime Video, Broadway On Demand, Facebook, YouTube, WNBC and via TodayTix.
Produced by acclaimed Broadway director and choreographer and Covenant House Board member Jeff Calhoun, with musical supervision by Jason Howland, Night of Covenant House Stars will combine moving performances by some of the entertainment world’s biggest stars as well as moving performances by Covenant House youth from across the country. Confirmed participants for the 2021 virtual gala include: Jon Bon Jovi, Meryl Streep, Jon Hamm, Dolly Parton, Ryan Reynolds, Robin Roberts, Stephen Colbert, Rachel Brosnahan, Ariana Debose, Morgan Freeman, Vanessa Williams, Sara Bareilles, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Ben Platt, Zach Braff, Marlon Wayans, Capathia Jenkins, Jo Ellen Pellman, Darius De Haas, Daniel Yearwood, Kelli O’Hara, Ames McNamara, Laurie Metcalf, Jewel, Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Dionne Warwick, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ana Villafañe, Alex Newell, Stephanie J. Block, Keala Settle, Jeremy Jordan, Laura Osnes, Jason Ralph, Terron Brooks and more!
“All of our Covenant House shelters and programs in 31 cities across six countries have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Covenant House President Kevin Ryan. “But with all the challenges we have remained open 24/7, creating new protocols to keep our resilient young people and our heroic frontline staff safe and healthy, maintaining critical services to support youth’s mental health and emotional health during the pandemic and serving over 1.8 million meals to young people experiencing homelessness.”
“These stars have stepped up because they recognize that our young people don’t have the option to shelter at home without a home,” said Ryan. “For thousands of young people in this past year and for 1,900 young people tonight, Covenant House is their home. Night of Covenant House Stars will help us keep our doors open, 24/7, when youth experiencing homelessness need us more than ever. We are so grateful to Kia, not only for sponsoring this virtual gala but for their consistent, ongoing support throughout the pandemic.”
“Now more than ever, it is critical that the homeless youth population gets not only the shelter and medical care they need, but also the social and emotional support they deserve, and Covenant House provides it all to them,” said Russell Wager, Vice President, marketing, Kia Motors America. “We at Kia are grateful to assist organizations like Covenant House and the support they provide to the estimated 4.2 million homeless youth in the U.S.”
Funds raised from Night of Covenant House Stars go directly to food, clothing, healthcare, education, job training, and short and long-term housing for youth overcoming homelessness at Covenant House across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Thanks to the heroic efforts of frontline Covenant House staff, our sites have remained open 24/7 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Photo Credit: Carl Beust / Shutterstock.com