Lionel Richie says King’s charity “winning” battle for kids dreams

Lionel Richie said King Charles III’s charity is “winning” during a red carpet gala in New York that raised $2.5 million for the organization.

Beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tillbury, Vogue U.K. editor Edward Enninful and 1990s iconic model Heidi Klum were among the stars to join Richie for the King’s Trust Global Gala in Casa Cipriani, in New York, on May 1.

And Richie, whose hits include All Night Long, was shaking hands and celebrating with glamorous guests late into the night, in downtown Manhattan.

On the red carpet, Richie said: “A million kids. I’ve been doing this since the 80s so I’ve been involved and what I’m loving the most is that we’re winning.

“Self esteem, satisfying people’s dreams who had no dreams at all, really no way of even trying to figure out what it’s all about.

“So, being involved in this is so rewarding because I can give back and, not only do I, but everyone involved.

“You know, these are major corporations coming to the table and if it’s not the money it’s the mentorship.”

An auction for the charity raised $2.5 million dollars to be spent on projects aimed at helping give young people a start in life, including in America.

Sophie Morris, team leader at City Year New York, told Newsweek her organization delivers a King’s Trust program at East Harlem’s P.S. 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory school, teaching disadvantaged children how to go into business.

“It’s eight weeks where you take the group of middle school children through the basics of business, learning about entrepreneurship, profit, revenue, learning those hard skills but also soft skills,” she said.

“These kids signed up and they were a little bit shy at first but this last Friday we took them to a competition where they got to present their own business, a skin care kit. A lot of them have eczema so they wanted to create a kit for sensitive skin.”

“There are a lot of kids living in the shelters, in and out of housing, just very volatile childhoods,” she added.

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

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