Children's Institute's 4Th Annual Gala Honors Developer Of Moderna's Covid-19 Vaccine & Design Legend And Local Philanthropist

LOS ANGELES (October 1, 2021) – Children's Institute (CII), the largest agency of its kind partnering with communities to transform the lives of children and families in Los Angeles, will host an in-person gala in Santa Monica, California, on October 23. The event raises funds for the agency's transformative programs that create hope and opportunity for children, youth and families in Los Angeles.

Now in its 4th year, the Cape & Gown Gala recognizes individuals dedicated to improving the lives of children and families; past honorees include world-renowned architect Frank O. Gehry and Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman Channing Dungey.

This year's honorees are Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and Suzanne Rheinstein.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is an assistant professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard. Previously Dr. Corbett served as a research fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center where she and her team rapidly deployed a COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Moderna. Combining her research goals with mentorship, Dr. Corbett invests much of her time in underserved communities as an advocate for STEM education and vaccine awareness.

"As a scientist and researcher with a passion for mentoring, I know that the quality of support children, youth and young adults receive can make all the difference in the trajectory of their lives. Children's Institute understands that we must consider the whole person in order to determine the resources they may need to succeed, whether that's access to early education, career fairs, or even a pop-up vaccination clinic right in their neighborhood," said Dr. Corbett.

Suzanne Rheinstein is an interior designer, author and philanthropist. She has been involved in several Los Angeles-based youth organizations, including the LA Opera and The Episcopal School of Los Angeles. Rheinstein has also been a long-standing member of The Colleagues, a women's volunteer nonprofit that supports the work of Children's Institute.

"I'm passionate about early education programs that support healthy development, providing kids with the building blocks for success later in life. Children's Institute is a vital organization in Los Angeles that does just that," said Rheinstein.

"The success of our children is deeply connected to the health of their families and neighborhoods. We are so proud to recognize both Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and Suzanne Rheinstein for playing vital roles in keeping our communities healthy and safe, offering hope to families across Los Angeles during one of the most difficult years of their lives," said Martine Singer, CII's President and CEO, "At Children's Institute, we celebrate the abundant potential of all people and partner with a heroic community of supporters to provide the counseling, education and advocacy to empower the most vulnerable among us to reach that potential."

This year's gala will take place on October 23, 2021, in-person and outside at the Fairmont Hotel and Bungalows in Santa Monica. To support Children's Institute by attending the 4th Annual Cape & Gown Gala, please visit: childrensinstitute.org/gala.

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For more than 100 years, Children's Institute (CII) has supported children and families in healing from traumatic experiences. Every year, CII impacts the lives of 30,000 children and families across Los Angeles, where decades of underinvestment and racist policies have resulted in poverty and lack of opportunity - from Echo Park to Watts to Long Beach. Our two-generation programs include high-quality early education and youth programs, counseling services, parenting supports, workforce and community leadership development, and advocacy for community investment where it is needed most. But there is more work to be done so that all children have equitable access to opportunities, families have pathways to prosperity, and communities are healthy and safe.

Learn more at https://www.childrensinstitute.org/. More about CII's Board of Trustees, can be found here: https://www.childrensinstitute.org/about/