On October 3, 2026, we’re gathering as one community to celebrate a milestone twenty-five years in the making. MenAlive is celebrating its 25th anniversary season, and we’re doing it in style at our Annual Gala.
A Night Twenty-Five Years in the Making
Since Rich Cook founded MenAlive in September 2001, this chorus has grown from a small group of singers into a cornerstone of Orange County’s LGBTQIA+ community. Twenty-five years of music, twenty-five years of chosen family, and twenty-five years of finding our voice, together.
This Gala isn’t just a party. It’s a chance to look back at everything this community has built, and to invest in everything still ahead, including PrideAlive, our new mixed voice ensemble debuting this December, and HeartsAlive, the volunteer corps that keeps our work running behind the scenes.
Honoring the People Who Carried Us Here
Every year, we present the Rich Cook Community Bridge Award, named for our founder, to individuals in the community who have made a positive impact on and within the LGBTQIA+ community. The award recognizes distinguished community members who personify the mission of VoicesAlive.
This year, we’re proud to honor two of them together.
Carrie Freitas is the founder and CEO of KTM Agency, an Orange County public relations and communications firm, where she has spent more than thirty years helping organizations tell stories that inspire action and strengthen communities. A lifelong storyteller and a proud ally of the LGBTQIA+ community since high school, Carrie has supported organizations including VoicesAlive, The Trevor Project, PFLAG Newport Beach, Project Open Hand, and the LGBTQ Center Orange County through fundraising, advocacy, and philanthropy. Her commitment is deeply personal too, as the proud mother of a transgender son whose courage and authenticity inspire her every day. She lives in Newport Beach with her husband and is a proud mom, stepmom, and grandmother.
Zeena Dhalla believes that lasting wellness requires more than physical health, it also requires inclusive organizations and deeply connected communities. Guided by that belief, she founded Ladera Valley Pride, building the LGBTQIA+ nonprofit from the ground up and launching initiatives that foster connection, visibility, and civic engagement throughout the region. Professionally, Zeena is a Postural Alignment Specialist, Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Pilates Instructor, and the founder of VerticAlign Posture and Ergonomics in Orange County. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and co-authored the Random House and Penguin book Sculpt and Shape: The Pilates Way. Beyond her profession, Zeena has chaired multiple school fundraising campaigns and spent thirteen years as a Girl Scout troop leader, mentoring several Scouts to their Gold Award.
Why This Matters
MenAlive exists because this community believed voices like ours deserved a place to be heard. Twenty-five years later, that belief has become a chorus, a growing family of ensembles, and a home for hundreds of singers and supporters across Orange County.
Every ticket, every sponsorship, and every donation at this Gala goes directly toward keeping that home open and building the next twenty-five years.
Join Us + Tickets
Mark your calendars and join us on Saturday, October 3, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Anaheim White House (887 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805). Tickets and more details are available at ocgmc.org/gala.
Whether you’ve been with us since 2001 or you’re just discovering MenAlive for the first time, this Gala is for you. Come celebrate a quarter century of finding our voice, together.
