Bringing UP BABY2BABY

How KELLY SAWYER PA and NORAH WEINSTEIN transformed an L.A. NONPROFIT into a CELEB-STUDDED fundraising JUGGERNAUT-and a LIFELINE for families everywhere

- ALESSANDRA CODINHA

On a cloudless Tuesday morning in early December at Los Angeles's BMO Stadium, a stretch of mezzanine had been arranged to look like an exceptionally well-stocked toy store.

Amid the shelves, Kendrick Lamar considered a fluffy pink stuffed horse. Ali Wong reached for a Lego set. Kelly Rowland appraised a board game. Olivia Wilde scooped up slime. Demi Lovato located a hard-to-reach plastic dinosaur. Each was accompanied by a child, one of 500 Los Angeles elementary schoolers from underserved school districts who had been invited for the annual holiday distribution event hosted by the local nonprofit Baby2Baby. Back at school, each child would receive a canvas sack with toys and warm winter clothing they'd selected, along with toiletries, all helpfully packed for them by a famous person they may or may not have recognized. "Are you an actress?" a six-year-old named Layla asked a volunteer entering the toy area. "No," Ali Wong said, "she's just very beautiful." On the field, Los Angeles Football Club and Angel City players Olivier Giroud, Kei Kamara, and Sydney Leroux ran dribbling and shooting drills with the kids. Outside the stadium, models Jessica Hart and Sara Sampaio led groups in single-file lines to a mound of faux snow sculpted into a sledding hill and a photo opportunity with Santa, who posed by a vintage truck.

Subtle signage referenced the contributions of brands like Nordstrom and Frame that had made the event possible. Volunteers handed out LAFC merch, individually wrapped snacks, and bubble wands. A cheerful DJ played pop music and cued the rotation of school groups between the gifting and activity stations.

Other than the handful of Baby2Baby team members and lanyard-wearing chaperones, it was a world filled solely with wonderfully happy children. And, of course, A-list celebrities.