WhyHunger’s 50th Anniversary Gala Raises Over $600K at Lincoln Center
Last Updated on June 6, 2025 by Erin Donahue
On June 5th, WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger and advancing the human right to nutritious food, celebrated its 50th anniversary at its Annual Chapin Awards Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, raising over $600,000 to end hunger and the injustice at its root. The event honored GRAMMY Award-winning artists and lifelong activists Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award, and CNN’s Laura Coates with the inaugural Bill Ayres Social Justice Award.
Featuring special performances by Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, as well as members of The Fab Faux with Music Director Will Lee, the evening brought together artists such as Willie Nile, Will Calhoun, Tash Neal, Jen Chapin, and The Chapin Sisters, along with activists, supporters, co-founder Bill Ayres and his family, and the family of fellow co-founder Harry Chapin, for a cocktail reception and program – all in support of WhyHunger’s mission to end hunger and address its root causes.
Read the Press Release Here
ABOUT WHYHUNGER
WhyHunger was founded in 1975 by the late musician Harry Chapin and Radio DJ Bill Ayres on the fundamental belief that access to nutritious food is a human right and hunger is a solvable problem in a world of abundance. What began as a simple commitment between two friends to make a difference has grown into a global non-profit, celebrating 50 years of supporting social movements and grassroots innovation to change the systems, policies, and institutions that perpetuate hunger and poverty in our world.
The organization has invested in community-led solutions that equip people to nourish themselves. It provides funding, training, and other resources to grassroots organizations across the United States and in 23 countries, championing local control of food access from seed to market to plate. WhyHunger over the last three years connected more than 3.5 million people to nutritious local food and invested $6.8 million globally to support sustainable agriculture and effective solutions to hunger. Since its start, WhyHunger’s Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program has engaged countless musicians and raised millions for WhyHunger’s community-based partners and programs.
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