November 2002

Stuart House Charity Benefit

John Varvatos hosts the first Stuart House Benefit at his Los Angeles store in West Hollywood to support the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. This internationally recognized program does great work serving the special needs of child victims of sexual abuse. The streets adjacent to the Melrose boutique are shut down for a concert and block party so successful it becomes an annual event that draws a glittering constellation of celebrities. To date, it has made possible the donation of more than $3 million to this worthy cause.

“The first day I walked into Stuart House, it ripped my heart out,” John remembers. “But it also made me realize that we as a company could really do something to help.”

The benefit also features performances by the likes of Chris Cornell, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top and Dave Matthews. Honorary chairs include Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Jillian and Patrick Dempsey, Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow and, most recently, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. John recalls every detail of.