The Open Hearts Foundation and Jane Seymour Host Gala in February Honoring Mindy and Glenn Stearns and Melissa Yeager

Jane Seymour and the Open Hearts Foundation Welcome Everyone to the Open Hearts Movement

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 14, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Open Hearts Foundation will host its 2024 Celebratory Gala on Saturday, February 17th at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu’s wine country and a private Benefactor cocktail reception on Friday, February 16th at the Malibu estate of award-winning actress and philanthropist, Jane Seymour. Inspired by the philosophy of Ms. Seymour’s mother, the Foundation will celebrate its impact and give two very special awards during the evening’s festivities. Mindy and Glenn Stearns, a magnetic philanthropic couple who believe in building a legacy of kindness, will be honored with the Open Hearts Humanitarian Award. Melissa Yeager, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Claire’s Place Foundation, a charity that serves children and families battling cystic fibrosis, will be honored with the Open Hearts Award.

In its fourteenth year, the Open Hearts Foundation will host a month long celebration with an online auction launching on February 1st and Celebratory Gala on February 17th. Everyone is invited to join the Open Hearts Movement and the Foundation’s global family of likeminded people and businesses working together for the greater good. Award-winning journalist and anchor of What's Now, WKYC, Christi Paul, will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies and delicious wines will be donated by E. & J. Gallo Winery. On the Friday night before the Gala, Jane Seymour will generously donate her Malibu estate to provide the perfect setting for an intimate, private Benefactor dinner filled with gratitude as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean.

The Foundation is thrilled to honor Glenn and Mindy Stearns with the Open Hearts Humanitarian Award because of their grit, passion, and dedication to helping others. This award celebrates individuals or corporations who live and serve with an open heart, who directly align with the Open Hearts Philosophy, as well as believe in and support the Foundation's mission. Giving back is a tenant of this couple’s personal and professional philosophy, balancing their very busy lives. A business titan as a lender, Glenn has never forgotten his humble beginnings and, with Mindy as the Chief Kindness Officer, they established Kind Lending in 2020 creating a new business model for the lending industry. They are both involved in various charitable efforts including the National Parks Foundation, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Even through personal challenges, Glenn and Mindy believe in facing problems head on and trying to solve them proactively rather than waiting and reacting. Glenn has been honored with the esteemed Horatio Alger Award and Mindy was named Woman of the Year by California State’s 70th district Assemblyman Don Wagner. They have supported the Open Hearts Foundation’s journey since the beginning. Together, Mindy and Glenn’s passion, their fun and creative spirit, and their commitment to family make them the perfect couple to be honored with this prestigious award.

Melissa Yeager, Co-founder and Executive Director of Claire’s Place Foundation, has never stopped fighting for the cystic fibrosis community. Her daughter, Claire Wineland, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was a baby. It was this personal journey and the desire of her daughter at age 13 to establish a charity and support other families and children struggling with this life debilitating disease. When Claire passed in 2018, Melissa could have ended the charity’s support and closed her heart, but she didn’t. Melissa knew Claire wanted the charity to live on because it gave her life so much meaning. Instead, Melissa opened her heart and still carries on her daughter’s legacy by leading the charity’s work. For these reasons and more, Melissa will be honored with the Open Hearts Award. Inspired by Jane Seymour's mother’s philosophy to turn adversity into an opportunity to help others, this award honors individuals who have risen above their own life challenges to truly help and reach out to others in need. During the evening, Melissa will share her moving story and how Claire’s Place Foundation has been able to impact the lives of so many children and families in the cystic fibrosis community.

Tim Mallad, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, expressed, “Our Open Hearts family is excited to honor Mindy and Glenn Stearns with our Humanitarian Award. Their passion and open hearts personify our mission and the work that we do every day. We are equally pleased to honor Melissa Yeager and her work with Claire’s Place Foundation, one of our charity partners whose incredible story reflects our values and commitment to creating change for the greater good.”

Jane Seymour, the Foundation’s Co-Founder and Board member, shared, “Mindy and Glenn are true examples of what it is to live with an Open Heart. Their generosity and dedication to spreading kindness in our world are unbelievably inspiring. I am beyond thrilled to honor them at the Foundation’s Gala as well as Melissa Yeager for her very open heart and dedication to helping others in the cystic fibrosis community. We all have a role to play in lifting each other up. You do not want to miss this night to remember!”

As of this press date, the Open Hearts Foundation Gala is sponsored in part by: JS Designs, Forefront Living, Jane and Bert Inch, Julie Gallo Vander Wall, Arlene Inch, Tracey Gluck, Rita Case, and GTE Agency.

Trena Pitchford
Open Hearts Foundation
+1 805-852-1367
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