Boston – City Kids, a nonprofit founded by City Realty Group Managing Partners Fred Starikov and Stephen Whalen, recently hosted its annual Fundraising Gala at Alibi in the Liberty Hotel. The City Kids Fundraising Gala is an evening dedicated to supporting and empowering underprivileged youth in Boston and beyond. The organization raised about $200,000 through gala sponsorships, donations, and auction items, the most it’s ever raised through the Fundraising Gala.
At the event, Whalen addressed the room, highlighting many of City Kids’ initiatives, especially the Financial Education program which was launched within the last year. “In 2024, City Kids made a transition locally from a heavy focus on post-COVID support for kids to a new focus: financial education. We’ve talked to too many kids that, through no fault of their own, have zero financial education. These kids are entering adulthood without the knowledge and skills to thrive and keep them on the path to financial success. Our mantra is financial education is more important than algebra. This led us to creating a goal to offer financial education in public schools,” said Whalen.
The event featured food, drinks, auction items, networking, and a keynote speech by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, best-selling author, and motivational speaker. Chopra remarked on the importance of uplifting children, stating, “You see so much creativity, you see so much happiness in them. They often have no boundaries.” He also went on to tell stories of Rabindranath Tagore and the Harvard Grant Study, pulling on the stories to inspire attendees to lead happy lives.
