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.

Last year, the Bridges Gala raised nearly $2.2M which directly impacted the lives of hundreds of young adults with disabilities.

This year, the 2024 Bridges Gala will continue to fuel our work to support challenged young adults in the year ahead. We are excited to gather for an evening of celebration and inspiring stories on Tuesday, May 28 at the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. Please plan to join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the young people Bridges serves across the country.

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

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. We are grateful for the many generous sponsors who contributed, raising 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.