PASSIONS' Adrian Bellani (Miguel) recently visited the place where his predecessor, Jesse Metcalfe (Miguel) relocated — Wisteria Lane — when he participated in The Tampico Beverages El Sueno De Esperanza Gala Sept. 6 at the Universal Studios Hollywood set of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

Hosted by Eva Longoria (Gabrielle), the gala was a benefit for Padres Contra El Cancer, a foundation that helps Latino pediatric cancer patients and their families.

"My grandmother and aunt are both breast cancer survivors, and this foundation helps kids, so it's touched my heart and I'm happy to support it," explains Bellani. "One of the reasons a lot of Latino kids [don't survive] is because of the language barrier. They're not getting enough information, and this organization provides that.

"It was such a beautiful evening, I actually gave a speech," Bellani adds. "What touched my heart was the fact that, when I was growing up in El Salvador, my family raised me, my brother and my sister to always consider family and God as the most important part of our lives and to always stick together. When I say 'my family,' I mean my grandparents, my mom and my dad. What I found through this foundation is that it not only helps a boy or girl going through treatment, but it also helps the family. It keeps them together and gives them hope that their child is going to be okay. This organization helps families that don't have the money for transportation to get to the hospital or to eat, let alone the money for the treatment. What they're doing is incredible. It's said that more than 70 percent of the people they take in are Latinos. They don't turn any family away.

"When I first got involved, I wanted to take a tour of the hospital to see the facilities and meet some of the families," continues Bellani. "You see a little girl who's maybe 2 years old walking with an IV behind her, or a mother carrying a child who can't even walk yet and she has the baby hooked up to an IV. It's very sad. It's not one of those things you want to do and walk out happy. But as soon the elevator doors open, you see the walls painted in vibrant colors and you see the mascot, a little girl named Esperanza — which means 'hope.' It doesn't look like a hospital. It looks more like day care. It gives the kids a lot of energy and hopefully the will to keep going."

Next May, Bellani will be hosting Celebrity SPIKE for Padres Contra El Cáncer, a beach volleyball tournament. "When I became involved, I wanted to be proactive and not just be a part of the organization. I wanted to do something," the actor stresses. "With the people we know and the connections we have being on TV, it's easy to gather a crowd and do something to raise money. I played volleyball in high school, so we decided to do a beach volleyball tournament in Santa Monica. We're gathering TV and film stars, athletes and musicians to get people out there on the beach to have some fun, play some volleyball — and raise some money."