A charter school that lost its Altadena campus in the Eaton Fire will hold its biggest fundraiser yet Sunday evening, a comedy show at Glendale’s Alex Theatre headlined by writer-producer Chris Spencer.
“Stand Up for Students” begins at 5:30 p.m. at the theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd., with proceeds going toward rebuilding Pasadena Rosebud Academy, the TK-8 school founded in 2007 by Shawn Brown to serve Black and brown students. The Eaton Fire destroyed the Altadena campus on January 7, 2025.
Rosebud’s 175 students and staff have spent the past year and a half in modular buildings on the campus of Don Benito Fundamental School in Pasadena, nearly seven miles from the original site. About a third of Rosebud’s students were displaced by the fire, and the school expects its highest enrollment yet this fall, with 215 incoming students, according to LAist, which first reported on Sunday’s event.
“Our kids deserve the best, we want them to have the best, so we won’t settle for just making it work,” Brown told LAist. The rebuild is projected to cost upward of $50 million. The California Charter School Association has provided funding toward the effort, and the school is seeking additional donations.
“We don’t want people to forget about us and think that because we’re somewhere, that we are where we need to be,” Brown said. “We still have a long journey.”
Spencer, known for co-creating and writing BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and for writing on “Black-ish,” will host a lineup that includes comedians Aida Rodriguez and Reg Thomas, according to LAist. A press release from the event’s producer, Tunnel Vision, adds Felicia Folkes, Chase Anthony and Jesus Trejo to the bill, with music by DJ Iesha Irene.
“We lost our building, but we never lost our community,” Brown said, according to the press release. “We’ve gotten this far because of the grace, support, and love people have shown our students, our families, and our school.”
In the release, Spencer said: “I’ve been doing comedy my whole career, but some shows mean more than others. This is one of them. … July 12th, we’re going to laugh, we’re going to give, and we’re going to help these kids get the school they deserve.”
The release names KBLA Talk 1580 as a media partner. The station’s James Farr, host of “Conversation Live: Altadena Rising,” said: “I’ve seen the work Pasadena Rosebud Academy does for students and families, and I know what this school means to the community. I’m looking forward to being there as we come together, support the school, and laugh the pain away.”
Brad Gage Law APC is credited as a community partner supporting event promotion; the firm’s role could not be independently verified beyond the release. “We’re proud to support Pasadena Rosebud Academy and the students and families who make this community special,” Brad Gage said. “When a community faces a challenge, showing up matters.”
Tickets are available through the Alex Theatre’s website. Donations can be made at rosebudacademy.com. Event inquiries: 818-254-8458.
The show comes as Rosebud’s temporary classrooms remain without sinks, according to LAist — a daily reminder, Brown has said, of how much work remains before Rosebud has a permanent home again.
