Sunset Royale Raises $202,000 as Claire’s Place Kicks Off Its 15th Anniversary Celebration
What a night!
On September 19, friends, families, sponsors, and longtime supporters of Claire’s Place Foundation came together aboard the FantaSea One yacht in Marina del Rey, CA for Sunset Royale, an unforgettable evening celebrating Claire’s legacy and kicking off our 15th Anniversary year.
And together, we raised an incredible $202,000 to support people with cystic fibrosis and their families.
Against a beautiful California sunset, guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner, casino games, live and silent auctions, music, and dancing. But the most meaningful moments of the evening came from the people who reminded us why this work matters.
We were honored to present writer, director, and actor Leah McKendrick with our 2026 Clairity Spotlight Award, recognizing her work on her hit Netflix movie Voicemails for Isabelle and her commitment to shining a light on cystic fibrosis through storytelling.
Rebecca Duckworth, actor, musician, founder of The DistrActors, and a person living with cystic fibrosis, shared her own story and perspective, while Claire’s Place Board Member Julie Blank and Mary Elmquist-Lane spoke movingly about Durell and the profound impact cystic fibrosis has on the entire family.
Their stories reflected something Claire’s Place has understood from the very beginning: CF may affect one person physically, but its impact reaches parents, spouses, siblings, caregivers, and entire families.
Dylan Mortimer and Rebecca Duckworth
$202,000 Means More Families We Can Say “Yes” To
For Claire’s Place, the success of Sunset Royale is about far more than one beautiful evening.
The funds raised will help us continue providing emergency financial assistance to families during extended hospital stays and helping people with CF pursue education, meaningful careers, and greater financial independence through our Work Proudly Program.
It means being able to say “yes” to more families when they need someone in their corner.
None of this would have been possible without our incredible sponsors, donors, auction contributors, Board of Directors, volunteers, event team, and every person who bought a ticket, placed a bid, raised a paddle, played a casino game, or simply showed up to celebrate with us.
Claire started this foundation at just 13 years old with a simple belief that people living with cystic fibrosis deserved support not just to survive, but to truly live.
Fifteen years later, that belief continues to bring people together.
What a beautiful way to begin our 15th Anniversary year. We can’t wait to see what we do together next!
