*Magic Johnson helped turn a room packed with sports legends and Hollywood stars into serious fundraising Thursday night as the Harold & Carole Pump Foundation celebrated its 26th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.
The evening brought together Denzel Washington, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Cedric the Entertainer, Bobby Brown, Doc Rivers, Gary Payton, Allyson Felix, Bo Jackson, James Worthy, Warren Moon and other familiar faces, while EURweb was on the red carpet getting its own slice of the action.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees included Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and players Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Miguel Rojas, Andy Pages, Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández, recognized after the Dodgers’ championship run. But one of the night’s biggest money moments belonged to Magic.
Magic Johnson Helps Drive a $300,000 Auction Moment
During the live auction, guests bid on opportunities involving the Lakers icon, with options including spending time with Johnson aboard his yacht in France, having him visit the winner’s home or receiving a personal business shoutout.
The bidding climbed to $300,000, adding some competitive electricity to a night centered on raising money for cancer programs.
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The larger event ultimately raised more than $3.3 million, according to post-event reporting, while the Harold & Carole Pump Foundation has spent more than two decades supporting cancer treatment and patient services.
Terrell Owens and Chris Spencer Drop Podcast News
Outside the ballroom, EURweb red carpet host Natalie Gilmore and videographer/editor Reggie Simon, caught up with ex-NFL star Terrell Owens and comedian Chris Spencer, who turned their interview into a comedy routine — while also revealing a project they’re developing together.
The longtime friends said they have a podcast coming called “Get to the Point.”
“We’ve known each other for 30 years,” Spencer said as the pair explained why combining an athlete and comedian made sense.
They’ve already tested the concept, and the chemistry apparently wasn’t hard to find.
“We did a test show, and we were finishing each other’s sentences,” Spencer told us. “We was like, ‘Oh, this was supposed to been happened.'”
Spencer also teased a side of the Hall of Fame-level receiver audiences may not fully appreciate: “The people don’t really know how funny he is.”
Reggie Simon assembled EURweb’s red-carpet video coverage of the evening.
Anthony Anderson Talks Awards, Friendship and Giving Back
Anthony Anderson supplied another memorable exchange when Gilmore asked whether all his honors were creating a storage problem.
“Never run out of shelf space,” Anderson joked. “I just get a bigger house.”
The laughs quickly gave way to the reason everyone had gathered.
Anderson praised brothers Dana and David Pump and their work through the Foundation.
“It’s a great honor to be honored, especially, you know, with the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation,” he told EURweb. “We’ve been friends, and I love what they’ve been doing in the community, and I love what they’re doing with the foundation.”
Gene McClendon Brings Luxury Transportation to the Carpet
Gilmore also spoke with Gene McClendon, CEO of Stratos Exotic Rentals & Lifestyle, a California luxury transportation company specializing in Executive Maybach Sprinters, luxury SUVs and celebrity and VIP transportation.
“We’re providing a luxury transportation company,” McClendon told EURweb, describing Stratos as an experience designed to go beyond simply getting passengers somewhere.
“Once they step into our vehicles, they have never, ever stepped into a vehicle that is anything like us,” he said.
The Cause Behind All That Star Power
Dana and David Pump created the Foundation in honor of their parents, Harold and Carole. Working with Northridge Hospital Foundation, they have raised more than $10.5 million over the years for cancer facilities, programs and other community charities.
That history explains why a room capable of producing jokes, podcast announcements, championship celebrations and a six-figure Magic Johnson auction could still remain focused on something considerably bigger.
Twenty-six years in, the Pump Foundation Celebrity Dinner continues using celebrity access as fuel for its mission.
The famous faces get people through the doors.
The fight against cancer is why they’re there.
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