Goldie Hawn, Fergie, FINNEAS, Oliver Hudson & more attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’ ‘Wish Gala’
LOS ANGELES(Dec. 6, 2025) – Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’ annual Wish Gala was held on Friday, Dec. 5, at the Fairmont Century Plaza to honor film and television icon Goldie Hawn with the ‘Power of a Wish’ Award and Disney executive Sally Hopkins Conner with the ‘Philanthropic Leader’ Award. The star-studded event also featured a performance by 10-time Grammy award and two-time Academy Award winner FINNEAS. The annual event, hosted by Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Anthony Anderson, was held with the goal of raising funds to grant ‘100 life-changing wishes’ to directly benefit wish-granting efforts in the Greater Los Angeles area, and help to make a meaningful impact on the lives of local children and their families.
Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles CEO & President Aparna Pande kicked off the program by thanking guests for their support and sharing heartfelt firsthand stories illustrating the organization’s impact on the community.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Sally Hopkins Conner attends Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Anthony Anderson attends Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Christy Sullins attends Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Goldie Hawn accepts the Power of a Wish Award onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Oliver Hudson speaks onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Sally Hopkins Conner, Anthony Anderson, Goldie Hawn, and Aparna Pande, CEO & President, Make-A-Wish attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Anthony Anderson and Kevin Frazier attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Fergie attends Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Penelope Cadiz attends Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Aparna Pande, CEO & President, Make-A-Wish speaks onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Silvia Brown and Sayf Marie attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Tish Galindo and Tamala Barksdale attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)
Oliver Hudson presented the ‘Power of a Wish Award’ to his mother, Goldie Hawn: “Healing begins with joy. When you give a child the tools to access optimism, to activate their imagination, to believe that the impossible can become possible, you’re not just making them feel good, you’re giving them an anchor, you’re helping them persevere… They teach kids that even in the middle of stress or fear or uncertainty, they can find support from their community, as well as a spark of agency, a spark of joy, that can grow into strength. That’s the power of a wish.” He continued, “LA is a city of dreams, and Mom, you represent the best of that because you’ve chosen again and again, through hands-on work and involvement, to believe in possibility, and to teach others, including your own kids, that they can do the same.
Accepting the honor, Goldie Hawn said: “Wishes are important… It’s the nature of the human being to wish. We want our children, in all ways, to know that they have a wish… We’re giving them hope, the ability to make it… One amazing thing about the energy, the electricity of joy, is that when you feel it, it actually speaks to your whole body… This is what’s so important about staying positive, about giving children the ability to know that they can…”
“When our parents see what happens here at Make-A-Wish Foundation, and these children actually are laughing, they’re dancing… tonight we saw that. When you are there seeing your children engaging in the world – they’re not in a bed, they’re in a hospital – we are outside and enjoying our life. The joy that the parents have is really important. But here’s what’s more important. This isn’t a one-time deal… because every way, everything we can do in our hospitals, all over, is to remind our children the power they have and to keep joy in their heart… Thank you all for giving your time, your joy, your financial stability tonight, and helping these children experience that feeling that they will identify and replicate over and over again.”
Kevin Frazier presented the ‘Philanthropic Leader Award’ to Sally Hopkins Conner. In accepting the award, Conner said, “[My son] had an operation last year… As a mom, I feel like I didn’t sleep for a year as we prepped… The morning-of was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through as a person on this planet… but the surgery was over, he was fixed, and we’re moving on… But these Make-A-Wish families don’t have that option, and they have to endure it day after day.” Conner continued, “I’m so proud to work at a company that dedicates so much time and energy and funds to Make-A-Wish. And what’s really remarkable… is that every hour of every day, a Disney wish is granted around the world.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Finneas performs onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: DJ performs onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Ian Gilbert, Danyelle Sargent, Tom Powell, Rosanna Bilow, Jedd Gold, Tiffany Faigus, Rishi Dixit, Kelly Dalton, Laurent Grill, Viviane Woodcock and Robyn Murgio attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Sally Hopkins Conner, Anthony Anderson, Goldie Hawn, and Aparna Pande, CEO & President, Make-A-Wish attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Nathan Anderson and Anthony Anderson perform onstage during Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Sally Hopkins Conner, Phil Colaco, Daniel Acuña, Laurent Grill, Aparna Pande, CEO & President, Make-A-Wish, Matthew Friedrich, Jedd Gold, Rosanna Bilow, Viviane Woodcock, Rishi Dixit, Gail Stonehouse, Tiffany Faigus and Bill Fishel attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Samantha Martinez, Viviane Woodcock, Hailey Gilbert, Ian Gilbert, and Tiffany Faigus attend Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles’s Wish Gala at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles)
During the program, the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit dancers took center stage to bring a special wish to life for Wish recipient Penny, and her parents Jacquelyn and Mark. Penny’s wish was to dance with the Clippers Spirit and root for her favorite team.
The Wish Gala live auction featured a Backstreet Boys VIP experience, including floor seats at the Sphere in Las Vegas and a two-night stay at the Venetian Resort; a Lakers luxury suite at Crypto.com Arena; a nine-night safari with &Beyond, South Africa and Botswana; a Vine & Vista luxury wine country escape package; a four-night Aspen luxury getaway at Hotel Jerome with round-trip Aero flights; an ultimate golf package to putt at five top courses at premiere Los Angeles clubs; and more.
To close out the evening, FINNEAS performed “Only A Lifetime” and “What They’ll Say About Us”, which beautifully tied together the evening’s theme of hope and inspiration.
Additional guests included Fergie, Tara Lipinski,Erinn Bartlett Hudson, and many more.
For a child facing a critical illness, a wish provides something no medicine can: HOPE. It sparks joy during the darkest of days and gives families a sense of strength, comfort, and brighter moments ahead. Support from those who attended will help Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles grant 100 wishes through this year’s Wish Gala to support their goal to create powerful moments of transformation that bring the community closer through compassion and philanthropy.