Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation Awards Compassionate Service Awards at 2024 FUNraising Gala

Andrew Gomez was a special Paul Mitchell Future Professional who had a magical way of knowing when someone was struggling, depressed, or needed a hug – maybe because he struggled with mental illness and depression himself. Despite his meteoric rise to success, Andrew ended his struggle by taking his life in 2002. Because so many people loved him and wanted to continue the gift he gave, his family, former instructors, and friends formed the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation in his honor.

Each year, the Foundation recognizes individuals who embody Andrew’s example of having a servant’s heart. At the Paul Mitchell School network’s 2024 FUNraising gala, Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation president Winn Claybaugh and John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder and chairman John Paul DeJoria presented Compassionate Service Awards to three deserving groups for their longtime commitment and contributions.

Top FUNraising Schools

Six Paul Mitchell Schools have gone above and beyond, year after year, raising the highest cumulative amounts over the last 21 years. Each of these schools was acknowledged for their extraordinary dedication year after year. It’s challenging enough to run a business, let alone to plan, execute, and show up for months and months of FUNraising. Each of these schools have raised over $375,000:

• Paul Mitchell The School St. Louis
• Parisian Beauty Academy, A Paul Mitchell Partner School
• Paul Mitchell The School Chicago
• Paul Mitchell The School Michigan
• Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa
• Paul Mitchell The School Salt Lake City

Top-Performing School Group Owners

“School group” owners have multiple locations, not just one school. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations for their groups, these school owners have supported highly successful FUNraising campaigns. When combined, these four groups have raised over $4.5 million throughout the years:

• Donna Waite & Partners
• Margaret Cromeans, Eddie & Annie Safadi & Partners
• Turnage Family & Partners
• Giulio Veglio & Partners

Clinton Norris, Videographer

The world is filled with talented individuals who back up their skill sets with impressive resumes and so, of course, we want to approach those people to assist us with production, marketing, or anything to do with raising money. There are also people in this world who possess those skills but, for whatever reason, we didn’t seek them out. Clinton Norris sought US out. Over and over again, he didn’t wait for us to call him. He called us, saying, “I want to get involved. I want to donate my time. I want to do whatever I can to be a part of this campaign.” Clinton is a talented hairdresser and educator, but who knew he was also very talented with video production, which he has taken over for the last several years to help promote our FUNraising campaign.

George Morales-Claybaugh, Fundraising and Gala Contributor

Everyone in this audience has a loved one at home with the patience to let us overwork when we dedicate extra, unpaid time to the causes we are passionate about. But when that person also jumps in with their energy and talents to contribute all they can, what a gift that is. George Morales-Claybaugh lends his artistic talents to inspire many of our FUNraising materials and videos. The idea of creating the First 100 contest came from George years ago and has now resulted in raising millions of dollars over the years. It was also his idea to have First 100 winners take the stage to share their passion for our charities. For over 20 years, George has played that role and been irreplaceable at stepping in with countless little details that have made our fundraising campaign something we can all be proud of.

Joel Swenson, Longtime Gala Show Director

Joel Swenson has been “calling our shows” from the back of the room since our earliest galas. He was there when Dolly Parton was in the audience and jumped up to do an impromptu version of “Nine to Five,” and he was there when Donny Osmond begged for the opportunity to serenade Betty White with “Puppy Love.” Year after year, Joel has been the man behind the curtain, making sure everything onstage runs smoothly and looks incredible. He does it with no fanfare, pure humility, and a lighthearted attitude that removes all stress for everyone involved. He normally works on gigantic, big-budget productions for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and concerts featuring Imagine Dragons, Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Aerosmith, and many, many more. Compared to those events, our gala is small potatoes – because we’re cheap and we want every dollar to go to charity! — but he never turns us down and he always finds ways to stretch our budget into something glamorous.