Annual Benefit

On Saturday, May 11, the Viewpoint Community gathered for our 41st Annual Benefit at the Skirball Cultural Center, to give back to our school while honoring the Carlson Family.

“The Carlsons are a family of builders, but they don’t just build buildings,” said Mark McKee, Head of School. “They also are passionate about building people up for the future, and investing in the next generation of builders and leaders.

The Carlson Family’s passion and commitment is demonstrated by their ongoing generosity in the creation of the Carlson Family Theater and the establishment of the Carlson Family Endowment For Financial Aid for Upper School students.

This year, in honor of the Carlson family, funds were raised for endowed financial aid for Upper School students, so we can remove barriers to success and launch the best and brightest students into college as world-ready citizens.

In this spirit, Viewpoint spotlighted the musical talents of its Upper School students throughout the evening. During the cocktail reception, guests were treated to a special performance by the Upper School Jazz Ensemble, and following dinner, Mark McKee introduced a very special set of music.

“Over the years, we’ve brought many headliners to the Benefit stage, from Stevie Wonder, to John Fogerty and his family, to last year’s Gavin Degraw,” said Mark McKee. “But this year I was thinking: every headliner started as a high school student.”

Led by Viewpoint Music Teacher Bill Brendle, an award-winning composer, orchestrator, arranger, and producer, three students from the Voices Now singing group performed solos to a captivated audience: Jasper Crenshaw ’24, Carly Nelson ’25, and Jake Roth ’26.

Following an enthusiastic Live Auction to further support the School, guests danced the night away to a live band provided by de Bois Entertainment.

Since Viewpoint’s first Benefit 41 years ago, Viewpoint’s student body has grown significantly, but the school’s values and commitment to philanthropy have stood the test of time.