It’s not often that someplace on Santa Monica’s tony Montana Avenue becomes a biker hangout. But that’s exactly what happened as lots of hot metal on wheels parked outside Kiehl’s Since 1951 for a very special occasion, benefiting a very worthwhile cause.
It was the final stop of the two-day LifeRide through Los Angeles supported by the skincare company in order to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA) during September, which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
The motorcycle riders were led by Kiehl’s president Chris Salgardo and OCRFA CEO Audra Moran, who spent two days of the ride, September 21 and 22, educating people about OCRFA’s important mission, advocating for increased federal research and awareness funding and further policies that support women and their families before, during and after a diagnosis.
The other riders included actors Gilles Marini, Grant Reynolds, Scott Patterson and tattoo artist Luke Wessman. They met customers at Kiehl’s stores at Sherman Oaks, Santa Anita, Victoria Gardens, Robertson and finally, at the finish line, in Santa Monica, where we joined them for a festive celebration.
Along with Salgardo, Moran and members of their ride team, guests included Alyssa Milano, Amanda Ensing, Brooke Hogan, Daniel Nguyen, Heather Storm, Jessica Wall, Vanessa Marcil and Yana Yatsuk.
Attendees got a chance to browse Kiehl’s new skincare collections as well as its iconic favorite products while being served delicious hors d’oeuvres from Foodlab. Tito’s Handmade Vodka provided refreshing cocktails on a warm summer evening to toast the success of Kiehl’s LifeRide.
The organization received a $25,000 donation from Kiehl’s at the end of the evening.