Serena Williams to Receive Giving Tree Award at 2025 Baby2Baby Gala for Advocacy in Maternal Health

Past honorees from the Baby2Baby Gala presented by Paul Mitchell include Charlize Theron and Kim Kardashian, among others

Serena Williams will be this year’s recipient of the Giving Tree Award at the Baby2Baby Gala presented by Paul Mitchell.

PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the nonprofit will honor the tennis champion with the award, which is given annually to a female public figure who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of children in need.

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Williams is receiving the award for her championing of women’s health, particularly with Black maternal health. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is also a mom of two, is the most successful female player of the Open Era and the most prized WTA player of all time.

“We are incredibly proud to honor Serena Williams on Baby2Baby’s most impactful night of the year, especially at such a critical time for our work providing children with basic necessities,” said Baby2Baby co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof in a statement.

“Serena is the epitome of what the Giving Tree Award represents, from her fierce commitment to uplifting children and families to her powerful advocacy for maternal health,” they continued. “The way in which she has used her incredible platform as an athlete, an activist, a role model and a mother to give back to children in need truly inspires us all at Baby2Baby.”

Williams shares her daughters Adira, 2, and Olympia, 8, with husband Alexis Ohanian.

Past honorees of the award include Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kim Kardashian, Chrissy Teigen, Vanessa Bryant, Kerry Washington, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner and Drew Barrymore.

Over the last 14 years, Baby2Baby has provided over half a billion essential items to children in need, including diapers, formula, and clothing. The Baby2Baby Gala is an annual event for the nonprofit that raises funds to support their work.

The organization has provided over 250 million diapers to families in need, and its Disaster Relief & Emergency Response program has responded to children in need in over 100 different disasters.

This year’s Baby2Baby Gala will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Los Angeles, Calif. The event is sponsored by Paul Mitchell, as well as Summer Fridays, Merck for Mothers and Dave.