For John Varvatos, philanthropy has never been a side note to success. It has long been part of his story. And he always credits his Greek heritage and the importance of giving back that is part of the cultural DNA of diaspora Greeks.

“My grandfather wasn’t wealthy. But every month, he took a part of his earnings and sent the money back to the village in Greece. He supported his family, the local school. I learned from a young age that it was our duty to help others,” Varvatos said.

The internationally known designer was once again at the heart of one of New York’s most high-profile nights of music and giving this past week, helping lead the tenth annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert, which raised more than $6 million for God’s Love We Deliver, a charity that provides critical meal support to those too sick to take care of themselves.

With this year’s total, the concert series has now raised more than $65 million overall for the organization and helped fund millions of meals for New Yorkers living with serious illness.

Varvatos served as an executive producer of the event alongside Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter, continuing a philanthropic role he has embraced for years—using his name, his network, and his cultural reach to bring people together around causes that matter.

Love Rocks NYC, which the trio helped build into one of the city’s signature charity concert events, has become far more than a night of music. It is now one of the biggest annual fundraising engines for God’s Love We Deliver.

That commitment to giving back is hardly new for Varvatos. Long before Love Rocks became a New York institution, he was deeply involved in charitable work in Los Angeles, hosting an annual benefit for Stuart House, a UCLA program serving sexually abused children. Over the years, those events drew major celebrity support and raised millions of dollars of support.

That bigger pattern is what makes Varvatos’ role in Love Rocks so notable. He is not just lending his name to a red-carpet cause. He has spent years helping turn celebrity, culture, and community into real dollars for people in need.

This year’s Love Rocks NYC concert featured an all-star lineup that included Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Hozier, Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste, Mavis Staples, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and others, with appearances by Bill Murray, Goo Goo Dolls, Joe Bonamassa, Linda Perry, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Susanna Hoffs, Trombone Shorty, and Warren Haynes. Hosts included Whoopi Goldberg, Julianne Moore, Jeff Ross, JB Smoove, Paul Shaffer, and Zarna Garg.

And the night delivered the kind of moments only a concert like this can. Paul Simon performed classics including “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “The Boxer.” Elvis Costello brought “Pump It Up” and “Peace, Love and Understanding,” while Hozier, Mary J. Blige, and Nile Rodgers each helped keep the energy moving between reverence, soul, and celebration.

The beneficiary, God’s Love We Deliver, has been serving New Yorkers since 1985, when it was founded during the AIDS crisis. Today the organization provides medically tailored meals and nutrition services for people living with more than 200 diagnoses, and it has delivered more than 40 million meals since its founding.