Chris Harrison may be known as the former host of “The Bachelor” franchise. However, in the time since he left “The Bachelor” shows behind — not to mention moving from Los Angeles to Austin — he’s dedicated part of his time to a very good cause. Along with his wife, former Entertainment Tonight host and producer, Lauren Zima, he’s taken time to support Experience Camps, “a national nonprofit that provides free grief support to children who have lost a parent or sibling,” according to People.
The organization explains, “Experience Camps is an award-winning national nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through summer camp programs and innovative, year-round initiatives. Through compassion, connection, and play, we allow grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility. By amplifying their voices, we are creating a more grief-sensitive culture.”
This great mission is why Chris and Lauren hosted a sold-out fundraising gala for Experience Camps on Thursday, October 23.
The Gala Was Held Where Chris & Lauren Had Their Wedding Party
When Chris and Lauren got married two years ago, they held a large party at Ranch Austin for all of their friends and family. This is also where they chose to host the Experience Camps gala which was deemed “Experience: Austin.”
Guests of the event received customized PATH water “Experience Camps” bottles along with Jackson Vaughn Texas collection candles. In return, they help to raise more than $800,000. The money will be used to start up Experience Camps’ first location in Texas.
Lauren Says Working With Experience Camps Is a ‘Great Honor’
Lauren knows what it’s like to deal with grief. She lost her father, Gary, 15 years ago and after opening up about grief online, she was contacted by Experience Camps.
“I first got involved with Experience Camps. Somebody slid into my DMs as so many great things start from, including our relationship, actually,” she told People.
Acting as a counselor for the organization three years ago, she explained, “It’s the great honor of my life.”
Chris also talked about Experience Camps, saying, “What I have seen through Zima’s eyes and meeting these kids is transformational… to have a place where it’s normal and where you’re surrounded by others, where you don’t have to explain yourself, you’re not gonna be bullied, you’re not gonna be made fun of because others don’t understand what you went through as a child is amazingly comforting to these kids.”
