This anti-Met Gala raises funds for people struggling with medical debt across the US

Inevitably, everyone's social media is buzzing with the glitz and glamour of the Met Gala 2024. On May 6th, the spring exhibition with the theme, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" was celebrated with the exuberant "The Garden of Time" dress code. As people around the world are gushing over the best-dressed celebrities at the grand event in NYC, a philanthropic alternative "The Debt Gala" has been turning heads on the internet. Held at the Bell House in Brooklyn exactly a day before the Met Gala, the Second Annual Debt Gala was a sparing substitute for the lavish spring benefit.

As a hilarious travesty of Met Gala's theme, the Debt Gala unraveled with the theme of "Sleeping Baddies: Slumber Party." Wearing pajamas, sleep masks, cozy bathrobes, fleecy house shoes and even fluffy pillows, the guests were right on point with the theme of the night. The most interesting part about the night was that, unlike the extravagant costumes showcased by opulent designers at the Costume Institute benefit, the Bell House red carpet flaunted homemade D.I.Y costumes. Allison Gould, a physical therapist who participated in the Debt Gala quipped to the New York Times, "No, I did not get invited to the Met Gala, but to me, this is the bigger event. As an independent physical therapist, I’m a fan of the message here, and health care access is a very important topic to me."

The key objective of this humble alternative to the world's biggest fashion event is to raise awareness of the medical debt that's skyrocketing in America. In an attempt to relieve people from the suffocating burden of personal debt due to poor health care, the event dedicated the proceeds from its tickets to organizations that worked for the cause. The Second Annual Debt Gala included the Debt Collective, a debtors’ union battling to cancel debts and Dollar For, a nonprofit that helps patients access charity care as the recipients of their proceeds.

The founders of Debt Gala are four creative pathfinders from the entertainment industry - Amanda Corday, Tom Costello, Molly Gaebe and Adam Gold. Speaking of the genesis of their brainchild, one of the co-founders Gaebe told the media channel, "We were all sitting in a bar together watching coverage of the Met Gala and we thought, ‘They all look like they’re having so much fun. Why can’t we, too?’" She continued, "The Met Gala is a fun cultural touchstone to be distracted by, but at the root of it, it is disconnected from the rest of the world. It doesn’t symbolize wanting to better the world in any way. Social justice is at the heart of the Debt Gala."

This year's Debt Gala event was brimming with entertainment as drag artists Chola Spears and Issa Dragon set the stage on fire. Causing a ripple of laughter at the Bell House were comedians Chanel Ali, Chloe Radcliffe, Momo, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Tata Sherise and Tina Friml. Hosted by the hilarious duo Zach and Drew, the night was revved up by NYC's L Train Brass Band. The Debt Gala 2023 successfully aced the theme, "Garbage X Glamour" where participants were dressed up in outfits made from upcycled trash. The Rip Medical Debt nonprofit received more than $18,000 from last year's event and considering this year's eventful Debt Gala night, the future of nonprofits working towards slashing America's medical debts looks promising.