Foster will present The Trevor Founders Award director Peggy Rajski and screenwriter James Lecesne. The award will be presented in recognition of the tenth anniversary of the first Cracked Xmas benefit and in memory of the organization's third founder, producer Randy Stone, who passed away unexpectedly in February. The presentation will take place at Cracked Xmas 10, set for Dec. 2 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Foster has been involved with The Trevor Project for many years. In 1994, she was the first major donor to provide support for the production of the short film Trevor. In June of this year, in support of the organization and to honor Stone's memory and spirit, Foster kicked off a new $1,000,000 call center fundraising campaign with a major gift, the largest in the organization’s history. More recently she appeared in a short film that is a tribute to Stone, which will be shown at the event as part of her presentation.

"I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to present the first Trevor Founders Award to Peggy and James in memory of my dearest friend, Randy," Foster said in a release. "Their inspired decision to establish this vital organization and their ongoing commitment to saving young lives are indeed worthy of recognition. The very fact that, after ten years, Trevor continues to pursue its mission so successfully is a testament not only to the founders' initial vision, but also to the importance of the organization's efforts to help desperate young people realize that their lives have value."

The Trevor Project was founded by Rajski, Lecesne and Stone in 1998 immediately preceding the first nationally televised airing of Trevor. When HBO decided to televise the movie, the filmmakers recognized that some of the program's teenaged viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis faced by the film's lead character and began to search for the telephone number of an appropriate support line to broadcast during the airing. Discovering that no such resource existed, they decided to dedicate themselves to forming The Trevor Project to aid in suicide prevention among of gay and questioning youth. The organization immediately opened The Trevor Helpline, which became the first and only nationwide around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline for that group.

"We are deeply honored to receive The Trevor Founders Award, and know Randy shares it with us in spirit," Rajski and Lecesne said in a release. "It's extraordinarily gratifying to know that the small non-profit we set up has grown into an organization that now saves lives every day, through its helpline, its website and the educational materials it sends to schools across the country. We look forward to the next decade during which Trevor will further expand its outreach in order to meet the growing demand for its critical work."

The helpline is a free and confidential service that annually helps thousands of youth who are in crisis and also assists family members, educators and friends seeking information on how to help someone in crisis. Trained counselors, who offer hope and listen without judgment, answer the calls 24 hours a day throughout the year. The helpline is maintained by the East Coast and West Coast-based Randy Stone Call Centers and is also supported by the San Francisco Suicide Prevention Center.

In 1998, The Trevor Project held its first annual Cracked Xmas fundraising gala in order to keep the newly created Trevor Helpline open and available to gay and questioning youth. Now an annual event, Cracked Xmas brings together top entertainers to help raise financial resources necessary to fund the organization's services. At this year's event, in addition to Foster's presentation of The Trevor Founders Award, the organization will present The Trevor Life Award to Emmy Award-winning comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and The Trevor Hope Award to Clear Channel Radio Los Angeles.

Source: The Trevor Project Press Release

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