John Legend, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, DJ Pee.Wee (aka Anderson.PaaK), and Ray Romano Headline The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation Gala With Host Joel McHale

Third Annual Fundraiser Supports Underserved Youth in Las Vegas and Atlanta

(October 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV) - The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation welcomed an incredible lineup of star performers for “The Event,” its third 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 John Legend, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), Ray Romano and was hosted 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 groups close to O'Neal’s heart – Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities In Schools. Funds from the evening will go towards the construction of a new facility benefiting both organizations in Las Vegas.

“I am grateful to our amazingly talented entertainers for donating their time to support our Foundation’s mission of giving back to kids who truly need it,” said O’Neal. “With our incredible partners, sponsors and, of course, the fans, we were able to come together as one and raise funds for a new Boys & Girls Club and Communities In Schools Training and Alumni Center here in Las Vegas.”

 “We are proud to have a tremendous partnership with The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation and teamed up once again for this year’s incredible event in support of local communities in need. The performances were amazing, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future,” said Kent Montgomery, SVP, Industry Relations and Multicultural Development, PepsiCo.

The evening kicked off with a private cocktail reception, dinner, and a live auction featuring 13 one-of-a-kind items, including golf with Mark Wahlberg; attend an Inter Miami game and meet David Beckham; a batting lesson with Aaron Judge; the ultimate Super Bowl package with tickets to the big game, the official Pepsi tailgate, Shaq’s Fun House, and SI The Party; an F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix experience; a Lakers championship ring from one of the years Shaquille won a championship with the team; and more.

During the auction, Shaquille O'Neal bid $20K to buy his loving mother on stage seats, the “Best Seats in the House,” so that she could watch her favorite singer – Jennifer Hudson – give a breathtaking performance. The live auction was followed by a public concert.

Playing to 1,500 attendees on the floor plus another 4,000 in the stands, DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak) opened the show with a high-energy all vinyl set, then surprised guests with a rendition of Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” with O'Neal singing Bruno Mars’ part. Next, O'Neal introduced host Joel McHale, who kept the show rolling and the audience laughing. Jennifer Hudson brought the house down with an incredible vocal performance, followed by Ray Romano performing a hilarious set before Dan + Shay took the stage to sing their top country-pop hits. The night ended with both a heartwarming and electrifying performance by John Legend, who had the crowd dancing on their feet with his song, “All She Wanna Do.”

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 Plus sponsor Door.com and Diamond level sponsors – Los Angeles Lakers, Reinhart Foundation, The General Insurance, and Wynn Resorts.

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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. 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.