Inside the 17th annual Go Campaign gala on Saturday night, Robert Pattinson calmly raised his number to place a bid on a getaway to the luxurious Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel in Montecito.
The fast-paced auction was quickly escalating and Pattinson — seated next to his girlfriend, “Daisy Jones & the Six” star Suki Waterhouse in the center of the swanky ballroom at Citizen News in Hollywood — raised the stakes to $6,500. “Going once. Going twice. We’re sold right here,” the auctioneer said pointing to Pattison. Seemed nobody wanted to get in a bidding war with Batman.
Pattinson is a longtime ambassador for Go Campaign, a nonprofit that supports children in need across the world, partnering with grassroots organizations to make an impact at the local level; since 2006, Go has helped more than 195,000 children by funding 580 projects in 40 countries. “The Batman” and “Mickey 17” star has been involved since 2015, joining a group of celebrity ambassadors that also includes Ewan McGregor, Lily Collins and newly announced representative Evangeline Lilly. On Saturday, Pattinson donated $12,000 to the cause.
And he wasn’t the only superhero to get in on the live auction. “Black Panther” star and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o also raised her paddle for a couple prizes, as multiple tropical getaways were offered up, and ultimately gave $9,000 to fund the organization’s efforts.
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“This is always the most impactful night of the year for us. I just think about all the kids we’re going to be able to help because of what happens in this room tonight,” Scott Fifer, the CEO of Go, told Variety on the black carpet before bidding began. “Every time we can change a child’s life, it becomes a success story because the ripple effects of that. You change one child and then they go on to help so many more.”
Fifer detailed the Go Campaign’s recent endeavors including building a new dormitory for girls in Rwanda and working with local Los Angeles youth in neighborhoods like Compton and Watts. “Our scope is so vast but it’s all about grassroots level, helping on the ground with no red tape, where the effect is immediate and so impactful,” he added.
Pattinson and Waterhouse arrived on the black carpet, giggling as they posed for photographers, who were eager to capture the perfect shot of the glamorous couple in a relatively rare public appearance. Pattison was also photographed inside the gala with Nyong’o, who attended with her mother Dorothy Ogada Buyu. Among the starry guest list were Emmy-nominee Robin Wright, “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green and “Mission: Impossible” star Greg Tarzan Davis, who dined on courses curated by chef Evan Funke.
During the ceremony, Fifer also acknowledged the growing crisis in Israel and its impact on the children of the area.
“One week ago today, a six-year-old boy was murdered in Chicago, less than ten miles away from where our local hero is building up her youth center safe zone. That boy was from a Palestinian family living here in America,” Fifer began.
“Just think about that. A terrorist group commits unspeakable acts on one Saturday in Israel. And then 6000 miles away, just seven days later, an innocent six-year-old boy — who probably didn’t even know there was a war going on — is stabbed and killed in Chicago.”
Fifer added that he “debated whether even to mention this incident, because really I want tonight to be about hope, I want it to be about inspiration. But my point in bringing it up is that nothing happens in a bubble. There’s very little that is truly local anymore. Everything is global, we’re all connected.”
Following Fifer’s powerful remarks and the auction, Pattinson took the podium to conclude the night, thanking attendees for their generosity.
“As you may be aware, some of Go Campaign’s projects gave opportunities to the children facing homelessness, and Go has funding arts programming, vocational training and student housing, so we thought a fitting way to end the night is with the Freedom Singers,” Pattinson said, introducing the event’s musical guests.
“They all met on Skid Row here in downtown LA,” he explained. “The group is made up of nonprofit workers, Skid Row volunteers and the formerly homeless. These talented musicians shine a light on the struggles experienced by those facing homelessness, and they do it in a beautiful way.”
The Freedom Singers performed their renditions of “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins, rousing the audience to stand up in recognition of their talent as the event came to a close.
But the Go Campaign’s fundraising efforts aren’t finished yet. The online silent auction has been extended until Oct. 25, with items including McGregor’s personal signed “Star Wars” memorabilia, tickets to Formula One in Las Vegas and a lifetime ticket to the Go Gala — where the winner would likely come face-to-face with Pattinson — still available for bids.