‘The Office’ star partnered with the nonprofit Alice’s Kids to provide students from six high schools in Altadena with prom tickets.
With prom season in full swing for teens across the nation, actor Steve Carell is paying it forward to Southern California students impacted by the Los Angeles
wildfires.
The 62-year-old recently teamed up with Alice’s Kids, a nonprofit
organization that provides financial assistance to children and students in need, to send over 800 high school seniors in the Altadena area to prom this year.
“Attention, all seniors, this is Steve Carell with a very special announcement,” the actor began in a
video posted to the charity’s Instagram page.
“I work with a wonderful charity based out of Virginia called Alice’s Kids. And Alice’s Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets, and if you have already paid for your prom tickets, they will reimburse you for your prom tickets.”
The charity plans to cover the cost of prom for six high schools with $175,000, as an average ticket for the event costs between $100 to $150 each.
“It’s a pretty good deal,” the comedian joked. “Have fun. Enjoy the prom, and remember, this is Steve Carell. Take it easy, guys.”
In a
statement to The Associated Press, the executive director of Alice’s Kids, Ron Fitzsimmons, said the donation couldn’t come at a better time, being able to uplift spirits during an event that is a rite of passage for so many.
“Going to prom should be a celebration, and we wanted to help make the big night just a little easier for seniors whose lives have been turned upside down by the wildfires,” he said.
“Hopefully this allows the students to unwind and have some fun after a devastating year.”
“The Office” star isn’t the only celebrity raising awareness toward wildfire relief efforts, as actors Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson,
donated $1 million to five organizations last month.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, a resident of the Pacific Palisades, one of the hardest-hit areas by the fires in January, led the charge. She also
pledged $1 million in January to support “our great city and state and the great people who live there.”
The Eaton fire
burned more than 14,000 acres across the
Altadena and Pasadena area after the blaze erupted on Jan. 7. According
to CAL Fire, nearly 10,000 structures were destroyed, a number of those being school campuses, leaving many students without a classroom to attend.
Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom
estimated the total economic loss from the wildfires could surpass over $250 billion and asked Congress at the time to approve nearly $40 billion in relief aid.
