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GLSEN — the national education organization that champions LGBTQ students and issues in K-12 education — has selected restaurateur and philanthropist Bruce Bozzi to receive the org’s Champion Award at the upcoming GLSEN Respect Awards.
The gala event is set for Oct. 20 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. As previously announced, Kerry Washington will receive the Inspiration Award.
Bozzi may be best known for his work at the industry hotspot The Palm. (He serves as executive vice president of Palm Restaurant Group.) He also hosts his own “Lunch with Bruce” series on SiriusXM. (Read more about that here.)
His restaurant group has integrated public service into the fabric of the business, with programs to fight hunger and support local communities as well as hosting numerous charity events. And Bozzi himself has championed LGBTQ issues, such as marriage equality, in addition to promoting GLSEN’s work to create safer schools.
“Bruce Bozzi is an activist and philanthropist focused on improving his community, and it will take all of us working together during this challenging time,” said GLSEN’s executive director Eliza Byard. “We are honored to have him join us for this year’s GLSEN Respect Awards to celebrate that commitment to the LGBTQ community and our efforts for students across the country.”
Additional honorees are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Last year’s Respect Awards featured close to 600 attendees and appearances by Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Matt Bomer, Connor Franta, Time Inc.’s Jess Cagle and ABC’s Kevin Brockman. More information can be found here.
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