NEW YORK—“Together, we are facing New York’s toughest opponent: poverty.” It’s the rallying cry Michael Strahan delivered to a room of 3,500 at the Javits Center on May 12 to kick off the 2025 Robin Hood Benefit Gala. It was the largest turnout the organization has seen in recent years, which came amid a 10-year high in New York City’s poverty rate.
In the spirit of banding together to make a difference in the community, the evening took on a sports theme.
“We leaned into the emotional grammar of sports: belief, grit, resilience, and the power of team,” said Lindsay Carroll, Robin Hood’s chief marketing and events officer. “It mirrors Robin Hood’s mission so clearly: showing up for others, especially when it matters most.”
It helped that the Big Apple has seen recent momentum in sports, “from the Knicks and Liberty to the Mets and beyond,” Carroll added. The benefit itself was buzzing with New York Knicks fans as it took place the same night as Game 4 of the playoff series (when the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics). 
The event took on a sports theme, which Lindsay Carroll, Robin Hood’s chief marketing and events officer, said was born out of "the emotional grammar of sports: belief, grit, resilience, and the power of team."Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
The entry tunnel featured sports-style banners that celebrated Robin Hood’s 37-year history.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
The theme showed itself “with more integrated Robin Hood messaging than ever before,” Carroll said, pointing first to the entry tunnel that ushered guests into the 30,000-square-foot event space with sports-style banners that celebrated Robin Hood’s 37-year history. Once inside, “a massive LED scoreboard, branded visuals, and kinetic games like foosball, golf simulators, pop-a-shot, and more added to the arena-like energy,” Carroll said.
The sensory journey included ice cubes molded into basketballs, larger-than-life sports installations suspended from the ceiling, and high-energy live performances throughout cocktail hour, including boxers atop pedestals striking branded punching bags and track stars leaping over hurdles around the perimeter of the space.
“We wanted guests to feel like they were walking into the biggest game of the season—but instead of players on a field, it was all of us showing up for New York,” Carroll said of the atmosphere, which was brought to life by longtime Robin Hood creative lead David Stark Design and Production. 
Once inside the 300,000-square-foot event space, a sensory journey included larger-than-life sports installations suspended from the ceiling.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
The theme showed itself “with more integrated Robin Hood messaging than ever before,” Carroll said.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
Cocktail hour included kinetic games like foosball, golf simulators, pop-a-shot, and more, plus boxers atop pedestals striking branded punching bags and track stars leaping over hurdles around the perimeter of the space.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
Once at their seats, some of the Concrete Jungle’s most influential names in philanthropy, finance, and sports (of course) were treated to a pre-plated entree of fried chicken and all the classic accompaniments, including coleslaw, potato salad, and biscuits with butter and jam.
“Our partners at Union Square Events were incredible collaborators in rethinking the experience,” Carroll said, noting that the benefit “skipped the traditional pre-plated first course followed by a served main course” this year. “It was a format that suited the room and the theme,” Carroll added. 
Robin Hood tapped a live marching band to usher guests from cocktail hour into the dining room.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
A surprise cheer squad assisted in one of Robin Hood's boldest kabuki drops yet, making for an engaging, big-game atmosphere.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
While enjoying dinner—and a classic ice cream sundae for dessert—Keith Urban delivered a performance Carroll described as “warm and charismatic”; followed by the “sharp, hilarious, and generous” Seth MacFarlane; and Oz Pearlman, also known as “Oz the Mentalist,” whose jaw-dropping performance called for a standing ovation.
After dinner, the evening capped off with a set from The Weeknd (formally known as Abel Tesfaye) on Robin Hood’s largest stage yet.
“We wanted to maximize the front-row experience for as many guests as possible, so we designed a 96-foot thrust stage that brought Abel’s performance deeper into the room,” Carroll said. “Our partners at Nimblist, who led all production, executed what became our most immersive concert experience yet. And as always, the entire room was flipped in record time during dinner, transforming the cocktail space into a full concert venue.” 
The event ditched the coursed meals it traditionally serves for a pre-plated entree of fried chicken and all the classic accompaniments, followed by a classic ice cream sundae for dessert.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
Keith Urban delivered a performance Carroll described as “warm and charismatic."Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
“These artists come to us through Robin Hood board members who are titans in the music and entertainment industries. These artists understand that the Robin Hood Benefit isn’t just a show—it’s action. Every dollar raised goes directly to fighting poverty in NYC, and that’s something they want to be part of,” Carroll said.
Speaking of, the evening generated Robin Hood’s highest yield in recent history. In all, $72 million was raised to directly benefit the millions of New Yorkers living below the poverty line.
In an added giveback effort, the 2025 Robin Hood Benefit Gala significantly slashed its environmental impact by nixing vinyl, expanded its food-composting efforts to include food for guests and the crew (more than 1,500 production staffers work around the clock for more than 170 hours to build the space), reduced single-use materials, and focused on local sourcing to minimize trucking.
“With improved signage and waste sorting, more materials were composted, reused, or recycled than ever before,” Carroll said. “We’re proud of the collective progress—and even more committed to raising the bar in the years ahead.” 
Oz Pearlman, also known as “Oz the Mentalist,” delivered a jaw-dropping performance that ended with a standing ovation.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
The 2025 Robin Hood Benefit Gala yielded $72 million, 100% of which funds food, housing, education, and job training for millions of New Yorkers living below the poverty line.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
“We wanted guests to feel like they were walking into the biggest game of the season—but instead of players on a field, it was all of us showing up for New York,” Carroll said.Photo: Courtesy of Robin Hood
