H.E.R., MAROON 5, MAREN MORRIS, JOHN MULANEY, PITBULL HEADLINE THE SHAQUILLE O'NEAL FOUNDATION GALA

Oct 20

Second Annual Fundraiser Raises $3.15 Million To Support Underserved Youth

(October 20, 2022; Las Vegas, NV) The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation welcomed an incredible lineup of star performers for “The Event,” its second annual fundraising gala presented by Pepsi Stronger Together at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas earlier this month. The evening featured major talents from the worlds of music and comedy with performances from H.E.R., Maroon 5, Maren Morris, John Mulaney and Pitbull, and was emceed by Joel McHale.

Established by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation’s mission is to create pathways for underserved youth to help them achieve their full potential. In doing so, they are partnered with two organizations close to O'Neal’s heart – Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in Schools (CIS).

“It means the world to me that these amazingly talented entertainers donate their time to support our Foundation’s mission of giving back to kids. Together with our incredible partners such as Pepsi Stronger Together, MGM Resorts, and, of course, the fans, we were able to able to surpass last year’s raise and bring in $3.15 million. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who had a hand in that.”

“The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation has been a tremendous partner to Pepsi Stronger Together. We were thrilled to team up once again for this year’s incredible event in support of local communities in need and look forward to continuing our partnership in the future,” said Derek Lewis, President, PepsiCo Multicultural.

The evening kicked off with a private cocktail reception, dinner and live auction that included a game of H-O-R-S-E with the big man himself, sitting in on a table read for an upcoming project with Issa Rae, a villa stay at Amanyara Turks and Caicos, a weekend at Pebble Beach with Inspirato, among other exceptional items and experiences. This was followed by a public concert.

Playing to a near sold-out crowd of more than 6,700 attendees, Pitbull opened the show with a high-energy rendition of “Time of Our Lives.” In closing his set, Pitbull gave a shout out to a former teacher who changed his life forever with her words “I believe in you.” He then pledged $25,000 to The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in hopes for students to gain more opportunities and mentors that can inspire them the way his former teacher inspired him. This was followed by O'Neal who revealed a rendering for a new facility in Las Vegas which will be the future site of a Boys & Girls Club and a CIS Training and Alumni Center. O’Neal then introduced Morris who shared how lucky she felt to have gotten the call to perform at The Event. Emcee Joel McHale kept the party upbeat and made quips in jest at the evening’s host, Shaquille O’Neal. H.E.R. brought the house to its feet with an upbeat set that included a Lenny Kravitz cover and her very own drum solo. Comedian John Mulaney had the crowd laughing before Maroon 5 ended the show with a seven song, 40 minute set.

Other highlights from the evening included:

Pepsi joining the auctioneer onstage to present an ultimate sports fantasy package, part of which included Super Bowl tickets, your own personal Pepsi vending machine and a year’s supply of Frito-Lay products
Shaquille surprising the audience by singing alongside Maroon 5 on “This Love”
Foundation supporters and friends of Shaquille O’Neal including 4x Super Bowl Champ Rob Gronkowski; television host and model Camille Kostek; Los Angeles Lakers President, Jeanie Buss; Logan Paul; Flavor Flav; Las Vegas Aces President, Nikki Fargas, and more.
Shaquille putting the spotlight on his mother and thanking her, in front of the crowd, for all that’s she has done to get him to where he is today
Host Joel McHale reminiscing about “discovering” H.E.R and launching her career with a clip of H.E.R on Talk Soup
Two gala guests placing a winning bid of $140,000 each for one game of H.O.R.S.E with Shaquille O’Neal

In addition to the artists who gave their time and talent to further the Foundation's mission, presenting sponsor, Pepsi Stronger Together, and venue sponsor, MGM Resorts, provided integral support for The Event. The Foundation graciously appreciates their contributions, as well as the generosity of Diamond level sponsors: American Family Insurance, Dollar Loan Center, Engelstad Foundation, The General Insurance, Genius Brands International, Las Vegas Raiders, Oak View Group, PLAYSTUDIOS, the Siminoff Family, and Wynn Resorts.

As a small token of thanks for their work in the community, the Foundation invited hundreds of first responders (police, fire, doctors, nurses and hospital staff) and teachers to the concert. Foundation Founders Council member, The General Insurance (TGI), also donated 100 concert tickets to Rancho High School in Las Vegas. TGI hosted an interactive and educational event on the importance of safe teen driving at the school, where O’Neal visited with students and handed out tickets to teachers and staff.

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About The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation

The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation creates pathways for underserved youth, helping them achieve their full potential. Established in 2019 by the NBA Hall of Famer, television sports analyst and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal, the Foundation works to instill hope and bring about change in communities, collectively shaping a brighter future for our children. In 2021, the Foundation opened the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County, located just outside of Atlanta, and the Shaq Courts at Doolittle in Las Vegas. While primarily partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in Schools, the Foundation simultaneously supports Shaquille’s other charitable endeavors, such as his annual Shaq-a-Claus holiday event and initiatives alongside his corporate partners. For more information, visit shaqfoundation.org.

About MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the Latin GRAMMY Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.

About Pepsi Stronger Together

Pepsi Stronger Together is a national initiative to empower and engage communities around the country by providing tailored programming and resources that bring people together. It was conceived with the idea that now, more than ever, we must foster a sense of connection and belonging, starting by investing locally. Launched in May of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic - engaging its network of partners in the South to shine a spotlight on essential front-line workers in a variety of industries - Pepsi Stronger Together was expanded in October of 2020 by partnering with NBA teams and charitable organizations to foster, among other things, community and police relations.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. Under this vision, Pepsi Stronger Together is continually evolving the program to respond to the cultural moment and meet the needs of communities across the United States. Stay up to date at pepsistrongertogether.com, where visitors can engage in conversation and learn about the latest community initiatives and how to give back. Follow the conversation on social media at @pepsistrongertogether.