Inspired by the Met, 'sleeping baddies' tackle medical debt at the Debt Gala's pajama party
The Met Gala has inspired pajama-clad New Yorkers to fundraise for medical debt relief at an alternative benefit called the Debt Gala
NEW YORK — A plush octopus by Jellycat. A neck pillow by XpresSpa. Graphic sleeping masks by Geyoga.
The accessories weren't designer. But these cozy, low-budget pieces stood out Sunday at the second Debt Gala, where some 200 pajama-clad revelers dressed for its “Sleeping Baddies” theme raised over $15,000 for medical bill relief. Hosted in Brooklyn one night before the Met Gala, the populist benefit's thrifty getups and raunchy comedy routines marked a far cry from its glitzy, star-studded inspiration that collects millions of dollars annually for the renowned art museum's costume department.
It's one of several alternative galas that have recently emerged around the city with hopes to democratize the exclusive springtime fundraiser's spectacle and leverage its fanfare to highlight other causes. Brooklyn Public Library revived its People's Ball in 2022 as an inclusive declaration of fashion's existence among “the everyday New Yorker.”
«Why should this wonderful, fun display of creativity and showmanship just be reserved for these wealthy elite when there’s so many amazing, creative New Yorkers who deserve to get the red-carpet treatment?” said Debt Gala co-founder Molly Gaebe.
This year’s beneficiaries are the Debt Collective, a debtors’ union born from the Occupy Wall Street movement, and Dollar For, a non-profit that reports having eliminated almost $50 million in medical debt by ensuring lower-income patients get discounted health services.
The prevalence of health care debt has prompted billions of dollars in relief from governments and private donors. A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation
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