Selena Gomez to Host First Rare Impact Fund Benefit

Selena Gomez to Host First Rare Impact Fund Benefit

This fall, Selena Gomez is set to host the first annual benefit for her charity, the Rare Impact Fund. The inaugural event is scheduled for October 4 in Los Angeles and will include celebrity guests like Martin Short and Marshmello. The funds raised at the event will support the Rare Impact Fund’s mission to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and help expand access to mental health services and education for young people around the world.

“There is nothing more important to me than getting young people access to the resources that they need to support their mental health,” Gomez shared. “This is a personal mission and the reason that I created the Rare Impact Fund. I am incredibly proud to host the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit and look forward to an inspiring night of raising funds for these lifesaving services and showcasing the impact we have made so far.”

The actress and singer founded the Rare Impact Fund alongside the launch of her cosmetic brand Rare Beauty in 2020. The fund was created with the goal of raising $100 million to address youth mental health.

To do so, Rare Beauty donates one per cent of sales directly to the Rare Impact Fund, and additional funds are raised by the charity through foundations, corporate partners and individual donations. The fund currently supports 23 organizations across the world, which includes organizations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, broader Europe, India and Brazil. To date, the Rare Impact Fund has directly impacted more than 740,000 young people, 10,000 teachers and administrators, and 367 educational systems.

Similarly, the fund collaborates with a network of grantees, mental health experts, donors, and the community to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Previous campaigns hosted by the charity have included co-creating free mental health content with their partners and sharing to their networks of more than nine million people.

Elyse Cohen, Rare Impact Fund President and VP of Social Impact & Inclusion at Rare Beauty, added, "We are thrilled to announce the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit, an evening filled with inspiration and purpose. This event will highlight the importance of supporting youth mental health and raise funds for the incredible organizations providing critical mental health tools and resources for young people around the world. With the support of our partners, donors, and community, we hope to further our mission to reduce the stigma association with mental health and increase access to mental health services and education."

Gomez, who has been open about her struggles with bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, shared that the Rare Impact Fund was founded so others didn’t face the same struggles she did.

“Mental health is personal for me,” she wrote in a statement on the charity’s website. “I went a long time without the mental health support I needed because I didn’t understand what I was feeling. After experiencing what felt like endless highs and lows that would take me out for weeks at a time, I finally got the support I needed to better understand what I was going through. But I’m learning every day that supporting my mental health is a journey. Not every day is perfect—it’s not for me, and it’s not for anyone. And too many people don’t have access to the resources and education they need to support their mental health.”

(Source: Reuters)

Selena Gomez Los Angeles Premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre © Reuters/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images