Months after the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, the Children’s Institute turned its annual Cape & Gown Gala into a record-setting tribute to their work on behalf of children and families. The Los Angeles charity raised $4 million at the November 8 event, according to a PR Newswire release, drawing more than 600 guests to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.The evening honored the Reiners’ decades of advocacy, including their role in creating First 5 California and their support for the legal challenge that helped pave the way for marriage equality nationwide. Their children, Jake and Romy Reiner, presented the inaugural Michele & Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award to Jamie Lee Curtis.
A record-setting night
The $4 million raised at the gala marks a record for Children’s Institute, according to the organization. The funds will support programs that help children and families heal from trauma, succeed in school and build pathways toward long-term health, stability and economic mobility.More than 600 guests attended the event, which was held as Children’s Institute celebrates its 120th anniversary. Founded in 1906, the organization provides early childhood education, mental health services and whole-family support to roughly 30,000 children and families across Los Angeles County each year.The gala was not simply a fundraising event. It became a gathering point for friends, collaborators and advocates who wanted to celebrate the values the Reiners represented, including compassion, urgency and a willingness to challenge systems that fail children.Children’s Institute President and CEO Martine Singer described Rob and Michele as “a force field,” saying their love was generous, fierce and unconditional. She said the organization’s mission is to continue expressing that sense of urgency and to use its own voice to amplify the power of their work.
A tribute from their children
Jake and Romy Reiner presented the inaugural Champion for Change Award to Jamie Lee Curtis, a choice that reflected both their parents’ values and Curtis’s long history of advocacy for children and families. The award was created in partnership with their aunt, Martine Singer, as a lasting tribute to the Reiners’ contributions to American civic life.Jake Reiner said the name of the award captured what his parents stood for. He described them as people who were never satisfied with the status quo and who consistently worked to make the world better, beginning with the loving environment they created at home.Romy Reiner spoke about Curtis’s generosity during a difficult period for the family. She said Curtis believes in the good in people and will do everything she can to make a situation right, adding that her support has meant more than she can fully express.For Curtis, the award carried personal meaning. She said Rob and Michele “lived so fiercely, so loudly,” and described them as undeniable. Her remarks framed the evening as a celebration of people who refused to remain silent in the face of injustice or need.
Jamie Lee Curtis honored
Curtis received the inaugural Michele & Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award in recognition of her longstanding commitment to children and families. Her charitable initiative, My Hand In Yours, has raised nearly $2 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.She is also the author of 14 children’s books, including Just One More Sleep, published in 2024. That body of work made her a natural fit for an award created to honor people who combine public influence with direct service to young people.Curtis’s connection to the Reiners goes beyond shared values. Her presence at the gala added emotional weight to an evening already shaped by grief, remembrance and a shared commitment to improving the lives of children.The award also gave the Reiner children a way to turn loss into action. Rather than allowing the evening to become only a memorial, they used it to recognize someone whose work reflects the same spirit of service their parents embodied.
A night of music and memory
John Mayer performed at the gala, singing “The Heart of Life” and “Gravity.” His connection to Rob Reiner added another layer of meaning to the evening, since Mayer’s song “Say,” featured in Reiner’s 2007 film The Bucket List, earned him the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.Comedian, television host and author Chelsea Handler also appeared, bringing humor to an emotional night. She told guests that Rob and Michele had brought so many people together and that the community could continue celebrating their values through the work of Children’s Institute.Emmy-winning filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld served as emcee. His friendship and creative partnership with Rob Reiner spanned decades, including work on When Harry Met Sally and Misery, and he was also the person who introduced Rob to Michele Singer.Sonnenfeld described the couple as extraordinary, powerful and deeply caring. His remarks reflected the sense among those who knew them that the Reiners’ influence was not limited to film or politics, but extended into the personal lives of the people around them.
A legacy that continues
Rob and Michele Reiner’s work had a lasting impact on public policy and social causes. Their leadership helped establish First 5 California, which generated billions of dollars in funding and created a lasting investment in early childhood programs.They also played a pivotal role in the federal court challenge to California’s ban on marriage equality, an effort that helped set the stage for marriage equality nationwide. Those accomplishments explain why Children’s Institute chose to honor them not only as philanthropists, but as advocates who changed the terms of public debate.The $4 million raised at the gala ensures that their legacy will continue in a practical way. The funds will support services for children and families across Los Angeles County, extending the Reiners’ commitment to early childhood, mental health and family stability.For the Reiner children, the evening was a chance to honor their parents in the most meaningful way possible, by continuing the work they believed in. For Children’s Institute, it was a reminder that a legacy is not measured only by what someone builds, but by what continues after they are gone.