Paul Mitchell Schools Celebrate 21 Years of FUNraising: 2024 Campaign Takes Grand Total to $26 Million

Co-hosted by Paul Mitchell Schools Dean and Cofounder Winn Claybaugh and actress AnnaLynne McCord, the Paul Mitchell Schools’ 21^st annual FUNraising gala took center stage in The Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom. Each year, participating students (aka “Future Professionals”) and team members from the 90+ nationwide beauty and barbering schools spend August through October voluntarily raising funds for national and local charities. This year, the schools raised nearly $900,000, bringing their 21-year total to over $26 million.

Winn Claybaugh says, “I used to catch myself saying, ‘When I get my life together, then I will do volunteer work.” It wasn’t until I started doing volunteer work that I felt like my life started coming together. In our Paul Mitchell Schools, our approach to raising money and awareness for important causes follows that sentiment in that we look for opportunities to become better human beings.”

Paul Mitchell School owners and team members joined beauty and entertainment industry leaders and representatives from this year’s supported charities to celebrate the 2024 FUNraising campaign.

• John Paul DeJoria, co-founder and chairman of John Paul Mitchell Systems and longtime supporter of Food 4 Africa
• Leeza Gibbons, Emmy-winning TV personality and founder of Leeza’s Care Connection
• Singer and songwriter Phillip Phillips and Senior Director of Celebrity and Influencer Relations, Kelli Davis, representing Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
• Kay Buck, CEO of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast)
• Seth Maxwell, founder of Thirst Project and Legacy Youth Leadership
• Deaf comedian Kathy Buckley and Michelle Christie, founder of No Limits for Deaf Children
• S. Army Master Sergeant (Retired) Cedric King, representing the Gary Sinise Foundation
• Harry Fulmore, Regional Director of Workplace Initiatives for United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

Past events have included Betty White, Vidal Sassoon, Magic Johnson, Dolly Parton, Gary Sinise, Larry King, Donny and Marie Osmond, and many others representing charitable organizations supported by the FUNraising campaign.

Generous Sponsor and Educator Support

Each year, generous sponsors support the FUNraising gala, so every dollar raised by the schools goes directly to the charities. Sponsors also support the “First 100” contest, where the first 100 students and school team members who individually raise at least $3,000 receive a ticket to the gala, accommodations at the Beverly Hilton, an after-party just for them, and a day of hands-on education with top educators who volunteer their time.

This year’s First 100 day of education featured award-winning cosmetologist and barber Fern the Barber, John Paul Mitchell Systems’ Editorial Director and two-time Emmy-winning session stylist Noogie Thai, Los Angeles-based hairstylist and talk show host Paula Peralta, and international makeup artist and salon owner Andrew Velazquez. Twenty additional artists and educators also volunteered to serve as “prizes.” Each of them will present a day of education for one of the top 20 FUNraising schools. To date, this simple contest has raised over $3.4 million!

10 First 100 Winners Serve as Honorary Co-Hosts

Ten of this year’s First 100 winners took the stage as honorary gala co-hosts and spoke about the national charity that meant most to them.

Christine O’Connell, a student from Paul Mitchell The School Salt Lake City, joined John Paul DeJoria to talk about Food 4 Africa, an organization that provides meals for children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “Being privileged to live in a country where we have ready access to many types of food and excellent health care, I was shocked to learn about these statistics, and that’s why the mission of this organization is so important to me,” Christine said.

Daniel Gray, a Marine Corps veteran and student from Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, joined Gary Sinise Foundation ambassador Cedric King. Daniel hosted a barber battle that raised $6,000 for the Gary Sinise Foundation. “I wanted to give back to something that changed my life,” Daniel said.

World-Class Entertainment

No gala is complete without entertainment, and this one featured multi—platinum-selling recording artist Phillip Phillips, whose career skyrocketed after he won American Idol season 11.

“Phillip’s performance on our gala stage was pure magic,” Winn Claybaugh said, “and he created just as much magic backstage, with his passion for our Paul Mitchell Schools’ fundraising success. He’s a beautiful, humble and talented man.”

Phillips joins a star-studded roster of past gala performers, including Terri Nunn and Berlin, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Megan Hilty, Donny and Marie Osmond, Jordin Sparks, and more.

Andrew Gomez Compassionate Service Awards

The Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation was founded after a beloved and successful Paul Mitchell School graduate lost his life to suicide. Because so many people loved him and wanted to continue his legacy of caring, his family, former instructors, and friends formed the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation. Each year, the Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation recognizes people who embody the philosophy of having a servant’s heart. Past recipients have included Gary Sinise, Leeza Gibbons, Marie Osmond, and Fran Drescher.

This year’s Compassionate Service Awards went to three groups of people.

• Six individual Paul Mitchell Schools who led the way in raising the highest cumulative amounts over the last 21 years. Each of these schools has raised over $375,000: Paul Mitchell The School Salt Lake City, Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, Paul Mitchell The School Michigan, Paul Mitchell The School Chicago, Parisian Beauty Academy, and Paul Mitchell The School St. Louis.
• Four multi-school groups whose combined efforts have raised over $4.5 million: Donna Waite & Partners; Margaret Cromeans, Eddie and Annie Safadi and Partners; Turnage Family and Partners; and Giulio Veglio and Partners.
• Three individuals who have contributed immensely with their time and talents: videographer Clinton Norris; fundraising and gala contributor George Morales-Claybaugh; and longtime gala show director Joel Swenson.

A Culture of Giving

Acknowledging the contributions of participating students and team members, Winn Claybaugh said, “Twenty years ago, our students started holding bake sales, car washes, and cut-a-thons to raise money, and those funds found their way to several organizations. Our national and local FUNraising efforts have built homes with Habitat for Humanity in partnership with Vidal Sassoon and supported the victims of AIDS, breast cancer, homelessness, hurricanes, abuse, and hundreds of other causes. Because of our passion for helping children, we’ve raised over $1.7 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, over $1.1 million for No Limits, and $1.4 million for Food 4 Africa, providing more than 36 million meals for orphaned children and continuing to feed 10,000 orphans every single day.”

In addition to raising money for national charities, many Paul Mitchell Schools designate part of their funds to charities in their local communities that their school leaders and Future Professionals care about. To date, the schools have donated over $1.1 million to more than 300 local charities such as Homeboy Industries, Boys and Girls Clubs, Ronald McDonald House, Change Your Brain Foundation (founded by Dr. Daniel Amen), Friends of Foster Kids, LGBTQ+ centers, domestic violence and rape crisis shelters, Make-A-Wish Foundation, mental health and addiction centers, YMCA, police athletic leagues, children’s services, animal rescue shelters, and many more.

About the Paul Mitchell School Network

Paul Mitchell Advanced Education, LLC, is a partially owned subsidiary of John Paul Mitchell Systems and the franchisor of 90+ independently owned and operated franchise beauty and/or barbering schools operating under the Paul Mitchell School brand.

At Paul Mitchell Advanced Education, we believe that education is an adventure and the learning experience needs to be fun and well rounded. Our courses focus on cosmetology, esthetics, and barbering education, highlighting important theory, practical, and business skills and emphasizing social and community responsibility. Our Learning Leaders are trained to draw out the artist in our Future Professionals and prepare them to enter their chosen careers as community-conscious salon, barbershop, beauty, and spa professionals. Visit www.paulmitchell.edu to learn more.

Over the last 21 years, the Paul Mitchell School network’s annual FUNraising campaign has collectively raised and donated over $26 million through the Andrew Gomez Foundation in support of many charitable causes. Learn more at www.paulmitchell.edu/giving-back.

RELATED LINKS

• 2024 Supported Organizations: http://www.paulmitchellschoolsfunraising.org/charities
• 2024 FUNraising Photos: https://bit.ly/4cOXQwl
• 2024 Andrew Gomez Compassionate Service Awards: https://bit.ly/2024AGDFawards
• 2024 Paul Mitchell Schools FUNraising Playlist (YouTube): https://bit.ly/4f8JwPO