Lighting a Charity Event: A TKO for Childhood Disease

When 800 supporters of Luskin OIC (Orthopaedic Institute for Children) arrived at SoFi stadium for the 2024 Stand Up For Kids gala, they found the field of the Los Angeles football stadium had been transformed into a high-end lounge area by event planner and designer Billy Butchkavitz and his team.

The evening’s theme, “Sports Medicine: Heal Champions, Fuel Athletes,” was carried through the event and to the show hosted by Emmy award-winning television personality Mario Lopez. The event began as guests descended six levels down to the field level of the stadium for the program, dinner, and dancing.

Images by Lighting was part of Billy’s dream team once again, providing lighting for the overall event beginning with the press, cocktails, and silent auction in the SoFi Social Club and VIP Cabanas. As guests made their way from Level 6 to the stadium level, a variety of Luskin OIC decorative elements along the way also required lighting.

If lighting a football stadium sounds daunting, Senior Lighting Designer Curt Stahl found that he could incorporate the existing lighting of SoFi for ambient lighting. The blue ribbon of lighting along each stadium tier, and the infinity screen overhead both provided enough ambient lighting without having to use stadium lights. Along the perimeter, Stahl used LED fixtures mounted on 15-foot truss towers in the guest seating area that color shifted during presentation looks and walk-in.

As guests enjoyed their lounge-seating view of the presentations honoring doctors, donors, and children, a low fog began to roll in on the stage, a microphone dropped, a boxing ring suddenly appeared as did the surprise guest of the evening – Michael Buffer, the famous ring announcer. Naturally, he asked his famous question as only he can – “Are you ready to ru-mmmmmmble?”

The crowd cheered and a check for $50 million donated by Renee and Meyer Luskin to the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children was presented. This would go a long way in helping to knock out many of the ailments, injuries, and diseases children fight.

Amid confetti and streamers, the band, World Classic Rockers, appeared and played a rousing set. The band was made up of former members of legendary groups including Steppenwolf, Journey, Santana, and Lynyrd Skynyrd who performed the biggest hits by those bands for the appreciative audience, many of whom were dancing in the end zone.

“We had fun creating a lighting show that was old-time rock ‘n’ roll,” Stahl says. “And by using more modern moving light fixtures rather than static par cans, we create a great effect using 50 instead of 200 fixtures!” Proving that there is power in numbers, and power on the field, for which Images by Lighting was responsible.

“There were many power resources on the field for events and concerts. We used five locations to distribute power to more than a dozen vendors in all the event areas from the stage, audio, teleprompters, drones, confetti, and more,” Stahl says.

In all, these event champions came ready to not only rumble but also produce a total TKO for the Luskin OIC and childhood disease.

Billy Butchkavitz Design Inc: design and decor | Images by Lighting: lighting and power distribution | Special Event Contractors: theatrical staging, technical staging, scaffold wall | Agile Eye Event Solutions: large-scale décor elements and press wall | Town and Country Event Rentals: furniture and Astroturf | Artistry in Motion: grand finale streams | Ricochet Rigging: truss structure | Amy Shomer & Associates: show production and direction | Venue: SoFi Stadium | Photos: Gabor Ekecs

Enjoy this video of the Luskin OIC Stand for Kids Gala designed and produced by Billy Butchkavitz.