Bionic Buzz® got to cover the 16th Annual Paul Mitchell Schools 2019 FUNraising at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA.

Each year, students and staff from 100+ Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools raise money and awareness for selected charities. Raising $5­–10 at a time with grassroots activities like cut-a-thons, hair shows, and car washes, they have raised over $20 million in 15 years.

The money raised goes to the following charities:

Leeza’s Care Connection is there for families trying to answer the question, “Now what?” when there is a diagnosis of illness or disease. Through our free programs and services, we offer strategies and solutions to help family caregivers cope.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the United States and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment, and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

Whether building specially adapted smart homes for wounded heroes, lifting spirits at home and abroad with an explosive live concert, or bringing WWII veterans to the museum built in their honor, the Gary Sinise Foundation serves America’s heroes and their loved ones 365 days a year.

CAST (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking) aims to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations.

Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation was founded to honor a successful Paul Mitchell School graduate whose struggle against mental illness ended tragically in suicide. The foundation helps cosmetology students, graduates, and cosmetology-related enterprises. Funds have provided educational opportunities, assistance after natural disasters (through our support of the PBA Disaster Relief Fund), and support in the fights against breast cancer, domestic violence, and other destroyers of self-esteem. 

Thirst Project is the world’s largest youth water organization. In just eight years, Thirst Project has mobilized more than 600,000 students and young people who funded over 2,200 water projects in 13 countries, giving more than 330,000 people access to safe, clean drinking water for life.

Food 4 Africa is committed to supplying at least one vitamin- and mineral-enriched meal each day to the children of Southern Africa, where the HIV/AIDS epidemic has left more than 11 million children orphaned. There are currently 3.9 million orphans in South Africa. Of these, approximately 2 million have been orphaned as a direct result of AIDS, and countless others have been orphaned as an indirect result.

At the event we got to interview actor Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds & The Simpsons), Seth Maxwell (co-founder of Thirst Project), actor Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries), host Leeza Gibbons (Extra & The Talk) Kathy Buckley (Comedienne), violinist Brian King Joseph (America’s Got Talent Season 13) and John Paul DeJoria & Angus Mitchell (co-owners of John Paul Mitchell Systems)