Making a difference has no age limit. Just ask the tens of thousands of trailblazing youth who came together on WE Day California to show the world that passion and kindness go a long way.
WE Day is an event that brings together world-renowned speakers, A-list performers and celebrity guests, and inspiring youth to celebrate a year of action that transformed communities and changed lives. This year, the event took place on April 19 at the Forum and was a night full of cheers, laughter, and tears.
The WE movement, created by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger, strives to bring together youth from all over the nation to create a better world. It offers ways for students to get involved—whether at home, school or work—by giving them the resources to help create positive social change in their community and around the world. WE Day truly brought this mission to life.
The auditorium was packed with over 16,000 youth and educators who inspire social change in the world. These individuals earned their place at the event by actively making a difference in their community. Students were able to hear stories, watch performances, and interact with inspiring celebrities including Selena Gomez, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, John Stamos, Lily Collins, and Dierks Bentley.
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Throughout the show, students from all over the nation took the stage to speak on behalf of their school’s amazing efforts to give back to their community. One individual who really touched the hearts of those in the audience was Khloe Thompson, an eight-year-old girl who started her own non-profit organization called Khloe Cares. Khloe and others in her community build custom bags for the homeless in cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. She inspires everyone that your age does not amount to your capability to make a change.
(Source: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images North America via ZIMBIO)
Another heartwarming highlight was when singer and actress, Selena Gomez, opened up about her kidney transplant surgery and introduced Nellie Mainor, a young girl who suffers from a kidney disease. As an advocate for kidney disease education and donation, Nelly puts together toy drives and blood collection events at her hospital, along with tying green ribbons around the trees in her city to spread awareness of the disease. Nelly joined Selena Gomez on stage and looked out into a sea of green ribbons that the audience held up high to show their love and support. It was truly a beautiful moment.
(Source: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images North America via ZIMBIO)
Some other celebrity speakers included High School Musical star Monique Coleman, dancer and actress Paula Abdul, and actor Henry Winkler. Winkler spoke about his struggle with dyslexia in school and directed a powerful statement to the youth, “No matter how difficult learning is, it does not mean you are not brilliant.”
Attendees left inspired and motivated to make their voices heard and work towards creating a better world.
The event will be airing live on ABC on August 17. To learn more about the WE movement, visit their website and join the cause!
