Environmental advocate Maggie Baird, mother to Grammy Award-winning singers Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, hosted a star-studded pickleball event over the weekend to combat food insecurity.
Support+Feed, the nonprofit founded by Baird, hosted its inaugural Pickleball Invitational and Game Night Fundraiser on Saturday at PIKL L.A.
The game night brought together celebrities, community partners and supporters to raise awareness for a cause that Baird has been vocal about for several years. Several notable guests attended the event, including her children, Eilish and O’Connell; Angelina Jolie and her son, Pax Jolie-Pitt; Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard; and former Spice Girls singer Melanie C.
“Our work in L.A. has taken on even greater urgency since the fires last year,” Baird exclusively told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s extremely moving to see our community come together to support our neighbors.”
Attendees were treated to plant-based meals from Support+Feed partner Cena Vegan and Strong Roots, who also in part sponsored the event. Both companies have previously worked with the nonprofit in distributing meals. Live Nation served as the presenting sponsor along with talent agency WME.
Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the Support+Feed event.
Christopher Polk/@polkimaging
Baird gave remarks on the mission of the event and her organization before kicking off the pickleball tournament. Beginners and seasoned players alike competed with hopes of reaching the championship round. For those who opted out of playing pickleball, there were other games, including UNO or ping-pong, available and a lounge for guests to grab a drink.
Proceeds from the night went to supporting Support+Feed’s mission, which offers community meal programming, emergency relief efforts, food access initiatives, educational programming and more. The nonprofit, which Baird founded in 2020, was heavily involved in supporting the L.A. communities that were rebuilding in the wake of the deadly 2025 wildfires.
Support+Feed tackles the climate crisis through the lens of food. “Getting people to understand that what we eat matters, and every time you can make a more sustainable choice, make more plant-based food, that makes a major impact,” Baird previously told The Hollywood Reporter.
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell at Saturday’s Support+Feed fundraiser.
Christopher Polk/@polkimaging
“The music industry has so much power to do that. Every arena, every stadium, every venue is serving so many people that if you make your menu 80 percent plant-based, you’re going to make such a big impact,” she continued.
Baird has been a strong advocate of sustainability in entertainment through her work on Eilish’s tours, which included a push for plant-based food options at the venues, finding more sustainable travel options when possible and hosting food drives at select stops. The environmentalist recently partnered with public media organization WETA for a new sustainable lifestyle series, Climate Kitchen, which is set to air in 2027.
