An Evening of Innovation, Heart, and Hope

On June 6th, over 600 guests joined Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children at Manhattan Beach Studios for the 2026 Innovation Gala sponsored by Las Amigas | Los Amigos. The lot was transformed for the evening, highlighting the power of innovation, access, collaboration, and philanthropy made possible by LuskinOIC’s staff, donors, and partners.

DJ Kitty and DJ Avi Love from Girls Make Beats welcomed everyone with their upbeat playlists at registration and New York Street. The JVL Orthopaedic Research Center and the Anatomical Engineering Group from UCLA shared their incredible work in the Innovation Center. LuskinOIC celebrated being officially debt free with a “Tear the Mortgage” celebration. NCAA Champion UCLA Women’s Basketball and Men’s Water Polo posed for pictures in our Champions Photo Experience.

Gala Chairs Sarah and Andrej Jonovic opened up the program by welcoming guests, paying homage to those affected by the 2025 Los Angeles fires, and officially kicking off the Innovation Campaign. Los Angeles Chargers President of Football Operations John Spanos and his wife Jodi highlighted the partnership of LuskinOIC doctors and the Chargers, as well as emphasizing the incredible work done every day by LuskinOIC providers.

UCLA Chancellor Dr. Julio Frenk and his wife Dr. Felicia Knaul spoke to the powerful partnership between UCLA and LuskinOIC, and highlighted the importance of leadership, vision, and investing in the next generation. Natalie Fishman and Georgia Madland of UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music honored Meyer and Renee Luskin’s relationship with an incredible performance of “For Good” from Wicked. Dr. Nicholas Bernthal spoke to the innovations occurring at LuskinOIC, as well as introducing the incoming Vice Chair of the Orthopaedic Research Center, Dr. Shyni Varghese.

Comedian and actor Nic Novicki took the stage as the evening’s emcee, leading us into the awards portion of the evening. The NCAA Champion UCLA Women’s Basketball and Men’s Water Polo teams took the stage to introduce the Power of Partnership Award, given to the UCLA Sarcoma Team for their outstanding, life-saving work. LuskinOIC Board Member Maureen Stockton introduced the Humanitarian Award, given to the Everychild Foundation for their incredible contributions to the children of Los Angeles, including a major grant toward LuskinOIC’s MRI suite.

The Voice finalist Marissa Corvo gave a moving performance of “Wind Beneath My Wings” before actress and comedian Caroline Rhea took the stage to lead the live auction, Stand for Kids paddle raise, and last paddle up fundraisers.

Guests got to learn more about our featured patient of the evening, Andrea Pendarvis, through a video telling her story about her scoliosis treatment led by Dr. Scaduto. After a brief reenactment to honor Meyer Luskin’s life growing up in New York City, Tyler Luskin shared his grandfather’s story and why supporting LuskinOIC is so important to him.

The evening closed with CEO Dr. Tony Scaduto and Senior Vice President Michael Sullivan announcing the $20 million match challenge from the Luskin family, increasing the Innovation Campaign goal to $100 million. For every dollar donated to the capital projects of the Innovation Campaign, the Luskin Family will triple it with a gift to the endowment.

DJ Shigeki Ito continued the celebration with a playlist full of party vibes, and we sang “Happy Birthday” to Meyer Luskin as we celebrated his centennial.

LuskinOIC is incredibly thankful to each and every one of our donors and partners who made this event possible. Funds raised throughout the evening will benefit the Innovation Campaign, which will transform the LuskinOIC downtown campus and ensure even easier and higher quality care for our patients.

[Header image: Katrina Mohn accepts the Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Everychild Foundation]