Gov. Schwarzenegger poses with the evening's three honorees: former Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development Henry Cisneros, left, Sabrina Kay and Todd Wagner. (Ron Murray / ImageActive.com)

Ellen Olivier, Special to the Los Angeles Times
February 28, 2010

The After-School All-Stars— a tax-exempt group founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the early 1990s to provide tutoring, recreation and other programs for poor children — has now grown to provide after-school programs for 81,000 middle and high school students at 450 campuses around the country.

And Schwarzenegger continues to support the organization. Speaking at the Feb. 18 "Reaching for the Stars" gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, he said, "I will always be part of raising the money … organizing and helping the committee and promoting it nationwide."

Among the guests who awaited the governor for picture-taking: "Twlight's" Nikki Reed. "I grew up in a single-parent home," Reed said. "I know what it's like. This way, kids have something creative to do after school instead of running amok."

Co-chaired by Paul Wachter, chief executive of Main Street Advisors, and Frank Baxter, former ambassador to Uruguay, the dinner grossed $700,000 and drew nearly 600 guests, including political figures, business leaders and celebrities, such as Sharon and Gray Davis, the former governor; former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan; Vintage Capital Group Chairman Fred Sands; and actors Tom Arnold, Tia Carrere, Lou Ferrigno and David Spade. Honorees were Todd Wagner, chief executive of 2929 Entertainment; Sabrina Kay, chief executive of Fremont College; and Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Wagner said that after he and his partner sold their company, Broadcast.com, to Yahoo, he heard about the After-School All-Stars and remembered thinking, "That's exactly what I want to do. Let's not reinvent the wheel."

With "Extra" host Mario Lopez as the night's emcee, Wagner, Cisneros and Kay each took the stage to accept their awards. Among her other goals, Kay said that she didn't want to "disappoint ‘the terminator.' "


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