Henry Winkler turned his family home into the site of a charitable event last week.
The actor and Happy Days alum, 80, and his daughter Zoe Winkler Reinis co-hosted their joint charitable foundation’s annual gala at their family home, This Is About Humanity’s 8th Annual Soirée.
The organization was co-founded by Zoe, 46, and is devoted to supporting “allies and advocates dedicated to raising awareness about separated and reunified families and children at the U.S.-Mexico border,” per their website.
Their latest gala took place at Henry and his longtime wife Stacey Winkler née Weitzman’s home in Hollywood, California, which honored NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama for his work toward reunification of families separated at the border.
Among the guests was Henry’s family, including an appearance by his three grandsons, Zoe’s children with her husband Rob Reinis, named Ace, Jules and Gus. Henry and Stacey are grandparents to four more children through their sons Jed and Max. Also at the gala? Zoe’s childhood friend Kim Kardashian.
At the event, the Barry star spoke with People about the lessons he wants to impart to his seven grandchildren. “There are lessons, like no matter how you learn, it has nothing to do with how brilliant you are. If they have a learning challenge, if school is difficult, if they’re trying something and it’s hard, that tenacity and gratitude are two of the roads to live your life down.”
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, Zoe explained what inspired her to create This is About Humanity with Elsa Marie Collins and her sister Yolanda Selene Walther-Meade.
© Getty Images“I could not get the images out of my head of these children,” she recalled. “I have a 1-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, and having them separated from me would be, I don’t know that they would make it.”
“I mean it’s so damaging and we’re living in such a scary time as it is right now that I feel like I never in my life thought I would become an activist, but I don’t have any other choice.”
Speaking with TODAY in 2022, Henry looked back on how his daughter would respond to seeing the horrifying stories of immigrant families needlessly and cruelly separated from each other at border crossings.
© Getty Images“She’s sitting on the couch. She’s watching the news. She’s watching the stories about the children in cages. She said, ‘Oh my god, those could be my children. My three boys,'” he shared. “And out of that came this with her two very good friends. A thought, follow through and an amazing organization.”
Zoe herself shared with TODAY: “We’re never going to fix immigration. But my goal is to make sure that every single person knows that they are going to be treated with dignity and grace…”
© Getty Images“To make sure that there’s no child that’s not with their parent and to make sure that every single person that wants to come to this country can come to this country.”
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