PEOPLE and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) will co-host the official SAG Awards^® Gala, held immediately following the 17^h Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards^® on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 on the back lot of the Shrine Exposition Center.  Tony Schubert of Los Angeles-based Event Eleven will design and produce the Gala for the second consecutive year.

The SAG Awards Gala has been a cornerstone of the PEOPLE/EIF/SAG relationship for the past 15 years.  On this special night, the three organizations come together to salute the charitable efforts of actors in their communities and to make an annual donation to the SAG Foundation.  This year’s $100,000 gift from PEOPLE and EIF will support the SAG Foundation’s scholarships and emergency assistance to SAG members, and children’s literacy programs around the nation. 

“We’re proud to support the SAG Foundation and to celebrate the Awards at this very special event,” said Larry Hackett, managing editor, PEOPLE. “It’s our way of thanking television and film performers for another great year.”

Actors play a crucial role in EIF’s extensive impact.  “We are moved by the enduring generosity of so many caring performers and the direct impact their involvement has on our community,” says EIF President and CEO Lisa Paulsen. “EIF also celebrates the ongoing public-awareness support of our partner PEOPLE, and congratulates the SAG Foundation on more than a quarter-century of community assistance.”  

PEOPLE and EIF have partnered on a variety of causes for more than a decade. Together, they have reached hundreds of millions of people with critical health, education and prevention messages

About EIF: As a philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has raised broad public awareness and hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable efforts addressing critical health, education and social issues. EIF is a founding partner in Stand Up To Cancer, created to raise funds to accelerate groundbreaking research and bring new cancer therapies to patients more quickly.  The celebrity-studded campaign has raised more than $180 million in pledges and featured two historic multi-network commercial-free telecasts aired in over 170 countries. Additional EIF commitments include the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women, the iParticipate volunteer initiative, and the Hope For Haiti Now telethon. For more information visit www.eifoundation.org.

About PEOPLE:  PEOPLE revolutionized personality journalism in 1974 and is today the world’s most successful and popular magazine.  Each week, PEOPLE brings more than 43 million consumers the latest news, exclusive interviews and in-depth reporting on the most compelling people of our time.  In addition to unparalleled access to the entertainment community, the stories of real-life “Heroes Among Us” remain an essential component of PEOPLE’s editorial approach.  PEOPLE.com is the premier web destination for celebrity news, photos, style and entertainment coverage.  For more information visit www.people.com.