Supporters

Bridges Gala

Each year, Richard Marriott, along with a celebrity headliner, hosts this event in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the successes of Bridges and honor youth achievement. Our generous supporters are essential in generating additional resources to support Bridges services and help young adults with disabilities find a path to a brighter future through competitive employment.

The 2025 Bridges Gala will take place Monday, June 16 at the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. SAVE THE DATE!

To learn more, please contact the Gala Team at (202) 719-8053 or [email protected].

2024 Bridges Gala

What a fabulous night! On May 28, we welcomed more than 1,000 guests to the Marriott Marquis and raised over $2,260,000 in support of Bridges from School to Work. The evening was both exciting and uplifting as we celebrated the achievements of Ku Say with the Stephen G. Marriott Youth Achievement Award, and then we were wowed by the voice and inspiring “turning limitations into opportunities” story of Tony Award winner Ali Stroker. The record-setting support was also due in part to our 2024 Bridges Gala Co-Chair, Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte Global CEO and his message of hope and harnessing the power of bringing together employers and young adults with disabilities who face barriers to employment.

We are grateful to all those who pledged their generous support!

2023 Bridges Gala

The 2023 Bridges was a fun and inspiring evening, held on June 26, 2023 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. Richard Marriott and his co-chair, Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, welcomed over 1,000 guests. With the help of our generous sponsors, we raised over $2.18 million.

Richard Lui, renowned MSNBC/NBC News Anchor and journalist, returned to host the program and he was joined by the inspiring Anthony Robles, an NCAA Champion, wrestling coach, commentator, and motivational speaker. We presented Marco Beltran, a former Bay-Area Bridges participant, with the Stephen G. Marriott Youth Achievement Award. Today, Marco lives in Seattle and works as a para-professional in a school for young students on the autism spectrum.

2022 Bridges Gala

After two years of hosting the event virtually, we were thrilled to gather in person on June 8th, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. Mr. Marriott and his co-chair, Scott Barghaan, VP and General Manager, Travel and Hospitality Vertical, Salesforce, welcomed almost 1,000 guests, representing more than 190 sponsors, who helped us raise a record-breaking $2,214,000 to help Bridges transform lives through the power of a job.

We honored William Bedford with the Stephen G. Marriott Youth Achievement Award for his hard work and job success through the Bridges program. We were also treated to a lively conversation between award-winning journalist Richard Lui, and Jershika Maple, a Top 5 Finalist on NBC’s The Voice, Season 21, who graced us with a powerful performance that showcased her outstanding talent.