Apex for Youth's 34th Inspiration Awards Gala Raises $3.7M, Honors Lana Condor for AAPI Representation

The 34th annual Inspiration Awards Gala, hosted by Apex for Youth at Cipriani South Street, successfully garnered $3.7 million to support mental health initiatives for underserved Asian-American youth. Lana Condor was honored with the Inspiration Award for her role in promoting Asian-American visibility in the media, receiving the accolade from her co-star Avantika. During her speech, Condor reflected on her journey with identity and the pressures to alter her appearance and name early in her career. Olympic skier Eileen Gu presented an award to Michael Chung, a business leader she met at the previous year's gala. The black-tie event attracted over 600 AAPI leaders from various fields, including fashion designers Laura Kim, Sandy Liang, Andrew Kwon, Kim Shui, and Dao-Yi Chow, as well as makeup artist Daniel Martin and Tony winner BD Wong. Condor highlighted the significance of centering Asian-American stories in her film "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." The night wrapped up with a paddle raise led by BD Wong.