Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala, hosted by Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner

October 5 is shaping up to be a big event for Chuck Lorre.

The super-producer and philanthropist was selected for one of the evening’s top honors at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala, held this evening on the LA Live Events Terrace in downtown Los Angeles. Lorre will receive the Courage to Care Award during the program, which will also present identical honors to Sugar Ray and Bernadette Leonard and sports and live entertainment leader AEG.

According to CHLA, the Courage to Care Awards recognize individuals or organizations that “demonstrate extraordinary commitment to children, pediatric causes and humanitarian efforts at CHLA and beyond.” Lorre, Leonards and AEG will join an audience that includes Drew Barrymore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Pau Gasol, Heidi Klum, Natalie Portman, LA Kings, Panda Express, Walt Disney Co. and others.

There’s more news about the evening: The CHLA Gala on October 5 will also feature appearances by Demi Lovato, presenter Kaley Cuoco, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Hanks and media personality Ellen K, and the festivities will be presided over by the evening’s co-hosts, married couple Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner. CHLA nurses will also be honored as Mission Ambassadors at what will likely be a significant moment. Longtime CHLA supporters Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearny Kristin and Jeffrey Worthe will serve as honorary co-chairs of the gala.

“We are thrilled to have Demi Lovato perform at this event and Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner to host this year’s gala, where we celebrate the hospital’s achievements made possible by our committed and generous community of supporters, advocates and philanthropists. The Gala also provides an opportunity to recognize the exceptional caregivers who help CHLA provide the highest quality and most compassionate pediatric care in California,” offered CHLA President and CEO Paul S. Viviano.

Said Cryer: “As a father, I know how important it is to have access to kind, compassionate doctors, nurses and other specialists when a child is sick. I proudly support the hospital by participating in CHLA’s annual triathlon. My wife and I are honored to host this special celebration that shines a light on CHLA and the extraordinary people who provide the best care for children.”

The reason this will be a big night for Lorre is in the details. Cryer starred alongside Charlie Sheen in the long-running comedy series Two and a half menco-created and executive produced by Lorre. Presenter Cuoco, who will pay tribute to Lorre, starred in another of his hit comedy series, The Big Bang Theory. The honor comes to Lorre less than a year after news broke that he had donated a total of $10 million to CHLA through his Chuck Lorre Family Foundation to support research education for high school and college students from underserved communities throughout Los Angeles.

The gift provided lasting support for a continuum of scientific training and mentoring that begins when students are in high school and now extends into college, and could ultimately create a more diverse group of scientists, physicians, nurses and health care workers. To support him, CHLA launched the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program (CLRSP), which welcomed its inaugural class in the summer of 2023, including graduates of the Samuels Family Latino Internship Program and the African American High School Internship Program (LA-HIP) at CHLA .

Lorre also supports the UCLA Fellowship Program, the Venice Family Clinic, the Chuck Lorre School of Allied Health at Cedars-Sinai, the Young Sheldon STEM Initiative, Project Angel Food, the Trust for Public Land, the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Scholarship awarded during “Hollywood Reporter”annual Women in Entertainment gala.

The Leonards have long been supporters of CHLA and its Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and have a long-standing commitment to raising awareness and funding for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. AEG, also a long-time leader of CHLA, has helped the hospital through contributions and partnerships with Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles Kings, and has also invested in programs and services such as the Blood Donor Center, the Sports Medicine Program, pediatric neurosurgery research and the Children’s Fund.

This year’s gala is supported by Costco Wholesale, the Alesia Alpert Family Foundation, Kristin and Jeffrey Worthe, Jay Borzi of Eastdil Secured, Adam Edwards, JP Leveque, Roy March, Michael Van Konynenburg and Steve Silk, AltaMed Health Services, BH Properties, Steve and Farah Gozini, Thomas Pierce and the Pediatric Oncology Support Fund, Friese Foundation, Lana and Tony Safoian, Tesoriero Family, Danhakl Family Foundation, Go4theGoal Foundation, Los Angeles Marriott Business Council and Beth Price.