
Thanks for Joining Us for the
Captain Planet Foundation Gala
Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Flourish Atlanta
See the photos from the Gala
Our 2023 Honorees

Xiye Bastida – Young Superhero for Earth Award
Xiye Bastida is a Climate Justice Activist who advocates for the centering of frontline communities in climate policy. She is an organizer for Fridays For Future NYC and helped mobilize up to 300,000 people in the 2019 climate strikes. In 2020, she co-founded Re-Earth Initiative, a youth-led Climate Justice education organization. As a public speaker and writer, she advocates for youth and Indigenous rights, and highlights the intersectionality of the climate crisis. She is also a commissioner at the Climate Governance Commission that will develop reform proposals on global climate governance. She currently attends the University of Pennsylvania where she is pursuing a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Policy.

Louie Schwartzberg – Superhero for Earth Award
Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who has spent his notable career providing breathtaking imagery using his time-lapse, high-speed and macro cinematography techniques. Schwartzberg is a visual artist who breaks barriers, connects with audiences, and tells stories that celebrate life and reveal the mysteries and wisdom of nature, people, and places.
His Moving Art is currently in season 3 on Netflix. Designed to inspire, educate and evolve our perspective on the world, each episode immerses viewers into the natural world, taking viewers on a journey through time and scale. For Schwartzberg, the greatest satisfaction is creating works that can have a positive effect on the future of the planet. “I hope my films inspire and open people’s hearts. Beauty is nature’s tool for survival – we protect what we love. That is the shift in consciousness we need to sustain and celebrate life.”
Each year, we give a series of awards that highlight outstanding, real life environmental heroes. Explore previous awardees and read about the work they are doing for the planet!

Gala Emcee
Monica Kaufman Pearson
Monica Kaufman Pearson is the first woman and first minority to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, GA, where she worked for 37 years at WSB TV. After being retired for 10 years, Monica recently was lured back into the business by Gray TV to host an hour long, monthly personality interview show, Monica Pearson One on One on Peachtree TV, WPCH-TV.
During her 52 years in newspaper, public relations, radio and TV, she has won 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for reporting, anchoring and her former celebrity interview show, Closeups.
Featuring the fun musical stylings of DejaBlue Grass Band!

Gala Co-Chairs
Letty & Bill
Ashworth
Ginair & George McKerrow
Jennifer & Randy Rudderman
2023 Gala Sponsors
Visionary

Guardians

Eunjae Kim &
Arturo Peralta-Ramos Family Trust


Heroes












Pat Mitchell & Scott Seydel


Sherri & Jess Crawford
Stacey & Don Leebern III





Champions
Cherry Street Energy
Gay Browne / Greenopia
Georgia Aquarium
Kristi & Paul Beckler
Legendary Events
National Society of High School Scholars
Park Place
TRRU Productions/AVLS