John Lyons of Avalon Honored with 2017 Heroes of Hollywood Award
June 02, 2017
More than 400 people attended the annual fundraiser where the Heroes Of Hollywood Awards luncheon presented by the Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce Community Foundation honored John Lyons, owner of the Avalon in June at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood. Returning for another year in their roles as Co-chairs were Carol Sarian and Cindy Braun. ABC Entertainment guru George Pennachio served as celebrity Emcee.
View the 2017 Heroes of Hollywood Commemorative Book
Our HERO John Lyons spent the better part of three decades developing and operating a diverse assortment of entertainment venues prior to his arrival in Hollywood in 2001. Headquartered in Boston, MA, John and his brothers began the Lyons Group. Under that brand they opened 40+ venues covering the gamut from punk rock to fine dining, dance clubs to country bars, discotheques to bowling alleys. After launching the House of Blues in Cambridge, John went on the road for two years to expand the chain in such cities as New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
While setting up the West Hollywood location in 1994, he became intrigued with Hollywood. John saw the area as a diamond in the rough that could be resuscitated with a bit of TLC. This idea percolated for a while and after a particularly brutal winter, John decided to make the leap and “go west.” Against the advice of all of the naysayers that said that Los Angeles would not support a large venue and that Hollywood was a risky location, he took over the Palace Theater on Vine St. After a substantial investment in the building, The Spider Club was launched followed shortly by the West coast installment of Avalon. In 2008, he opened Bardot.
As a firm believer that a business can only be as healthy as the community it serves, John became actively involved in organizations that shared his desire to make Hollywood a better place. He has served on the boards of the Hollywood BID, Chamber of Commerce, and the Hollywood PAL. In addition to these organizations, John actively supports the LAPD/FD Memorial Foundations. John resides in Hollywood with his wife Amanda and his most ambitious undertaking to date, 9-year-old daughter Dani.
See more photos from Heroes of Hollywood
Additionally, the 2017 Heroes of Hollywood Awards luncheon honored Beatrice Girmala, Assistant Chief, LAPD; Baydsar Thomasian, Deputy District Director, Office of President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon; and Pink’s Hot Dogs.
'Entertainment Tonight' Host Nancy O’Dell was recognized with the Mary Pickford Award. This prestigious award is given to a celebrity who has made a difference in the entertainment industry and the Hollywood community.
Founder and Owner of the Hollywood Museum Donelle Dadigan with the Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Johnny Grant making history by being the first woman to be recognized with the Johnny Grant award.
Platinum Level sponsor of the event is the Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building and the Gold Level Sponsors include Avalon Hollywood, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, LaTerra Development, LLC., Managed Career Solutions, MBS Group, Pink’s Hot Dogs, and Taglyan Cultural Complex. The Silver Level Sponsors include City National Bank, The CrisCom Company, Famous Hollywood Dental Care, FilmL.A., Inc., Harridge Development Group, Hollywood Hotel, Hudson Pacific Properties, Jimmy Kimmel Live! Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, The Original Farmers Market, Pacific Commerce Bank, Pantages Theatre / Nederlander Concerts, Paramount Contractors & Developers, Southern California Gas Company, and US Bank.
The Annual Heroes of Hollywood Luncheon fundraiser allows the Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce Community Foundation to give out around $50k per year in grants to nonprofits in Hollywood that help the community.
About the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce - www.hollywoodchamber.net
For more than 96 years, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has provided leadership, business development resources, networking, and government affairs programs and services to keep the Hollywood business and residential communities safe, relevant and economically vital. Jeff Zarrinnam of Hollywood Hotel, is the Chair of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2017-18, and Leron Gubler is the President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. For more information please visit www.hollywoodchamber.net.
About Heroes of Hollywood – www.hollywoodchamber.net/heroes
The Heroes of Hollywood Awards recognize exceptional leaders in the Hollywood community who have transformed the lives of others and/or have made a remarkable contribution to the physical environment. Since 1993 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation has saluted more than 125 extraordinary leaders from Hollywood, through what was previously named the Women of Distinction Awards. Since 2011, the awards have honored both male and female leaders, as well as families, businesses and organizations. The awards ceremony serves as one of two major fundraisers for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving the lives of Hollywood community members. All funds raised from this luncheon will be awarded in the form of grants to local charitable organizations. “Heroes of Hollywood” Awards Committee is comprised of members of the Hollywood Chamber who are volunteers and have proven to be community leaders themselves. For more information, visit http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/heroes
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation – www.hollywoodchamber.net/foundation
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation is an organization within the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that promotes outreach and the well-being of the non-profit organizations within the community. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation achieves its goal by awarding grants to support and advance the educational, cultural and economic interests of the Hollywood community. The Foundation is unique because, as part of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, it illustrates the success of a business advocacy group giving financial assistance to the community that it serves, namely the charities that are members of the Hollywood Chamber.
#Heroes2017 #HeroesofHollywood #HollywoodChamber #Foundation #NancyO’Dell #DonelleDadigan #JohnLyons #BaydsarThomasian #BeatriceGirmala #PinksHotDog #GeorgePennachio
View the 2017 Heroes of Hollywood Commemorative Book
Our HERO John Lyons spent the better part of three decades developing and operating a diverse assortment of entertainment venues prior to his arrival in Hollywood in 2001. Headquartered in Boston, MA, John and his brothers began the Lyons Group. Under that brand they opened 40+ venues covering the gamut from punk rock to fine dining, dance clubs to country bars, discotheques to bowling alleys. After launching the House of Blues in Cambridge, John went on the road for two years to expand the chain in such cities as New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
While setting up the West Hollywood location in 1994, he became intrigued with Hollywood. John saw the area as a diamond in the rough that could be resuscitated with a bit of TLC. This idea percolated for a while and after a particularly brutal winter, John decided to make the leap and “go west.” Against the advice of all of the naysayers that said that Los Angeles would not support a large venue and that Hollywood was a risky location, he took over the Palace Theater on Vine St. After a substantial investment in the building, The Spider Club was launched followed shortly by the West coast installment of Avalon. In 2008, he opened Bardot.
As a firm believer that a business can only be as healthy as the community it serves, John became actively involved in organizations that shared his desire to make Hollywood a better place. He has served on the boards of the Hollywood BID, Chamber of Commerce, and the Hollywood PAL. In addition to these organizations, John actively supports the LAPD/FD Memorial Foundations. John resides in Hollywood with his wife Amanda and his most ambitious undertaking to date, 9-year-old daughter Dani.
See more photos from Heroes of Hollywood
Additionally, the 2017 Heroes of Hollywood Awards luncheon honored Beatrice Girmala, Assistant Chief, LAPD; Baydsar Thomasian, Deputy District Director, Office of President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon; and Pink’s Hot Dogs.
'Entertainment Tonight' Host Nancy O’Dell was recognized with the Mary Pickford Award. This prestigious award is given to a celebrity who has made a difference in the entertainment industry and the Hollywood community.
Founder and Owner of the Hollywood Museum Donelle Dadigan with the Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Johnny Grant making history by being the first woman to be recognized with the Johnny Grant award.
Platinum Level sponsor of the event is the Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building and the Gold Level Sponsors include Avalon Hollywood, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, LaTerra Development, LLC., Managed Career Solutions, MBS Group, Pink’s Hot Dogs, and Taglyan Cultural Complex. The Silver Level Sponsors include City National Bank, The CrisCom Company, Famous Hollywood Dental Care, FilmL.A., Inc., Harridge Development Group, Hollywood Hotel, Hudson Pacific Properties, Jimmy Kimmel Live! Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, The Original Farmers Market, Pacific Commerce Bank, Pantages Theatre / Nederlander Concerts, Paramount Contractors & Developers, Southern California Gas Company, and US Bank.
The Annual Heroes of Hollywood Luncheon fundraiser allows the Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce Community Foundation to give out around $50k per year in grants to nonprofits in Hollywood that help the community.
About the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce - www.hollywoodchamber.net
For more than 96 years, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has provided leadership, business development resources, networking, and government affairs programs and services to keep the Hollywood business and residential communities safe, relevant and economically vital. Jeff Zarrinnam of Hollywood Hotel, is the Chair of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2017-18, and Leron Gubler is the President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. For more information please visit www.hollywoodchamber.net.
About Heroes of Hollywood – www.hollywoodchamber.net/heroes
The Heroes of Hollywood Awards recognize exceptional leaders in the Hollywood community who have transformed the lives of others and/or have made a remarkable contribution to the physical environment. Since 1993 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation has saluted more than 125 extraordinary leaders from Hollywood, through what was previously named the Women of Distinction Awards. Since 2011, the awards have honored both male and female leaders, as well as families, businesses and organizations. The awards ceremony serves as one of two major fundraisers for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving the lives of Hollywood community members. All funds raised from this luncheon will be awarded in the form of grants to local charitable organizations. “Heroes of Hollywood” Awards Committee is comprised of members of the Hollywood Chamber who are volunteers and have proven to be community leaders themselves. For more information, visit http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/heroes
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation – www.hollywoodchamber.net/foundation
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation is an organization within the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that promotes outreach and the well-being of the non-profit organizations within the community. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation achieves its goal by awarding grants to support and advance the educational, cultural and economic interests of the Hollywood community. The Foundation is unique because, as part of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, it illustrates the success of a business advocacy group giving financial assistance to the community that it serves, namely the charities that are members of the Hollywood Chamber.
#Heroes2017 #HeroesofHollywood #HollywoodChamber #Foundation #NancyO’Dell #DonelleDadigan #JohnLyons #BaydsarThomasian #BeatriceGirmala #PinksHotDog #GeorgePennachio
Contact:
Hollywood Chamber
info@hollywoodchamber.net, (323) 469-8311
