The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor will raise a stein—and a paddle—at this year’s Bids for Kids Gala, the San Pedro-based nonprofit’s marquee fundraiser, a night built entirely around the local youth it serves.
Set for Saturday, September 19, at the Torrance Marriott Redondo Beach, the evening features an Oktoberfest theme, with festive cocktail attire as the dress code and traditional dirndls, lederhosen, and Bavarian-inspired looks encouraged (though not required).
At the heart of the gala are two Hall of Fame inductees whose stories run straight through the Harbor. The late Willie Naulls, a member of the San Pedro Boys Club from 1943 to 1952 and a San Pedro High School standout, will be honored posthumously. Naulls starred at UCLA under John Wooden before a decade in the NBA, where he became a New York Knicks All-Star, the first African American to captain a major U.S. professional sports team, and part of the Boston Celtics’ first all-Black starting lineup, winning three straight championships from 1964 to 1966.
Joining him is San Pedro’s own Gary Herrera, whose first job was at the Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro. Herrera built a career on the waterfront and now serves as president of ILWU Local 13, one of the nation’s most influential labor organizations—a journey from Club member to community and labor leader that the organization says embodies what its programs make possible.
The night will also feature the Club’s Youth of the Year, whose story anchors the case for the auction paddles that give the gala its name. spt
The 2026 Bids for Kids Gala is Saturday, Sept. 19. Early Bird tickets are $275, with tables of 10 available for $2,750 through August 1. Sponsorship and underwriting packages available. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets, sponsorships, and program advertising are available at bgclaharbor.ejoinme.org/BidforKids26, or by calling the Club at (310) 833-1322, ext. 290.
Share Your Comments