Miss America Shines on the Blue Carpet at the 2025 UNICEF Gala

[NEW YORK CITY, NY] December 2, 2025 — Miss America 2026, Cassie Donegan, attended the 2025 UNICEF Gala in New York City, an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating the resilience of children worldwide and honoring the individuals and organizations working tirelessly to protect and empower them. The annual event unites global changemakers, artists, humanitarians, and advocates with a shared mission: ensuring every child is healthy, educated, safe, and respected. This year’s gala, along with supporters nationwide, raised an impressive $7.4 million to advance UNICEF’s vital programs.

 

The evening featured a soulful performance by Leon Bridges and a moving presentation by Amanda Gorman, Presidential Inaugural Poet and Activist. Actor, Singer, Producer, and UNICEF Ambassador Sofia Carson hosted the gala with grace and passion, while a lively DJ set by Questlove brought energy to the celebration. Special remarks by UNICEF USA National Youth Council Member Samiaht Busari highlighted the transformative power of youth advocacy.

 

For Miss America 2026, attending the UNICEF Gala was a meaningful extension of Cassie Donegan’s commitment to service, education, and global advocacy. Throughout her year of service, she has championed initiatives focused on child well-being, equity, and access—causes that closely align with UNICEF’s mission.

 

For more than eighty years, UNICEF has worked around the globe to provide children with the essentials they need to thrive, including health care, nutrition, education, safe water, sanitation, and emergency aid. UNICEF USA supports these efforts domestically, engaging the American public to help ensure the world’s most vulnerable children have the opportunities they deserve.