Charity Events
World Premiere Screening of Redlight: Tonight
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Here at Scene B Seen, it is important for us to spread the word on all things good.
On Monday, June 21st, Priority Films in partnership with LexisNexis, will premiere the feature documentary Redlight. Produced and narrated by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu, Redlight documents the heart breaking world of child sexploitation and the inspiring people who kindle hope and fight for change.
All proceeds from the event benefit the Red Light Children Campaign and Restore NYC. On Monday, SVA Theatre will hold two screenings, 6:00pm and 9:00pm. If you would like more information on the documentary, non-profits involved, or how to purchase a ticket, please click HERE.
Celebs Step Out for Caron Treatment Centers: Patti LaBelle, Art Garfunkel and Dr. Oz
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When A-listers get together for a good cause, they tend to do it in style. The Caron Treament Centers New York Gala last Wednesday, May 26th, was no exception. The event took place at Cipriani midtown where attendees arrived around 6.30pm for the reception and silent auction, which included the usual pre-dinner mingling over cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres.
Buzzing conversations praised the benefits and efficiency of the Caron Treatment Centers for drug and alcohol addiction. Another hot topic- the amazing items featured in the auction: signed gear by athletes and singers such as; Paul Simon, LeBron James, Sean Avery and the Jonas Brothers. Dr. Mehmet Oz happily answered questions from guests and every single person involved with Caron (from board members to volunteers) were more than eager to provide information on this 50 year old not-for-profit dedicated to addiction treatment and recovery services.
Caron's Core Values: Commitment - "Investing in One Another", Leadership - "Walking the Talk", Financial Success - "Mission Possible", and Growth - "Help More People...Better".
By maintaining this mission, Caron has become a leading not-for-profit provider for drug and alcohol addiction treatment, renown for their primary, relapse, extended care, and residential treatments, Caron offers: medical detoxification, residential assessment programs, gender-separate primary rehabilitation, relapse treatment and extended care for adults, young adults and adolescents; outpatient care; educational programs for family members and others whose lives have been impacted by addiction; and student assistance services. In addition to Caron's six facilities which treat more than 4,000 individuals a year (over 1,000 of them from the New York area), Caron NY, located in midtown, offers information, screenings and referral services.
Once all guests were directed to their seats for the dinner, Douglas Tieman, president and CEO of Caron, commenced the introductions for the evening, and by a few words from Dr. Oz and his collaboration with Caron. Alumnus Craig Esposito shared his story of addition and how he recovered at Caron- a very touching story told with humor and simplicity!
After guests had a chance to enjoy the excellent dinner, the much anticipated award presentation and performance began.
Allen H. Arrow, entertainment lawyer and friend and supporter of Caron since 1992, was honored for his dedication to Caron with the presentation of a short film telling his life story and featuring testimonials from all of his friends and partners involved with Caron... including Liza Minelli. Art Garfunkel, of Simon & Garfunkel, received the Caron Artist's Award for Artistic Excellence and Generosity to Caron, which he humbly accepted before performing a song. The pièce de résistance was a fabulous performance by Patti LaBelle, singing about 5 songs. One would never guess she is a 66 years old diabetic, as she proved to be full of energy and still a great performer.
The 2010 Caron Treatment Centers New York City Gala raises awareness of the disease of alcohol and drug addiction and recognizes individuals in the community who have given their time and resources to help those in need. All proceeds benefit Caron adolescent treatment scholarships.
Click here to view photo gallery
Caron Treatment Centers New York Gala images
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Music Unites Celebrates: One Year Anniversary
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Monday, May 17th: The rooftop penthouse suite of the Cooper Union Hotel provided the perfect locale for a great party with an even greater mission on Monday night. Music Unites is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for all genres and styles of music to be played and heard throughout New York. Celebrating its One Year Anniversary in a major way, Music Unites' focus was geared toward raising funds and awareness for the Music Unites Youth Choir- an after school program for high school students.
Monday's event was definitely a successful one-two punch. Not only was it Music Unites' birthday, but also that of Founder and Executive Director Michelle Edgar. Panoramic views of twinkling city lights, a fully stocked bar from sponsors Arizona Beverage Company and Double Cross Vodka (with bottled extras chilled in the tub/makeshift cooler) and throngs of the well dressed sipping mixed drinks, made for a relaxingly cool atmosphere.
Music Unites knows a thing or two about good music, and they definitely brought in a talented group of musicians to fortify their mission: bridging the gap between the emerging artist and his audience through performance and exposure. Live music from Tamarama, Jaicko, Niia, Matt White, Rachel Platten, Maino, As Tall As Lions, and DJ DL- got the crowd bopping their heads and moving their feet.
I have to say, I was particularly impressed with the musical styling of Niia. She has a voice reminiscent to the old school jazz songbirds, yet with a contemporary edge. Loved her song Learn My Body, and when her debut album comes out, it will happily find a home in my i-pod.
Raffle tickets, cool graphic tees, and a donation bin, added additional funding to benefit MUYC along with other underfunded school programs lacking music education. As a person who is a firm believer in the arts and the importance it holds in our society, a non-profit like Music Unites is a new favorite of mine.
To check out more information or how you can get involved, visit their website at musicunites.org.
*all photos by Gene Michael Bradley
*photo 1: Christine Nebiar, Michelle Edgar and Rachel Platten
*photo 2: Tinsley Mortimer
*photo 3: Niia
The New York Women’s Foundation 23rd Annual Celebrating Women® Breakfast Honors: Mary J. Blige, Eileen Fisher & Margarita Rosa
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Thursday, May 13th: More than 2,300 women and men gathered for The New York Women’s Foundation’s® 23rd Annual Celebrating Women® Breakfast at the Hilton Grand Ballroom. This year’s breakfast, emceed by CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O’Brien, celebrated the accomplishments of the Foundation’s 68 grantee partners and honored the work of three trailblazing women: Award-Winning Singer and Philanthropist Mary J. Blige, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of EILEEN FISHER, Inc. Eileen Fisher, and Social Justice Advocate and Executive Director of Grand Street Settlement- Margarita Rosa. The breakfast helped The New York Women’s Foundation exceed its $1.4 million fundraising goal.
The morning may have been about celebrating the work of pioneering women, yet I felt the theme of Women's Empowerment and how passion and dedication is boundless in accomplishment. As Entrepreneur, Author, Activist, and Special Guest Kathy LeMay stated, "There is no one else doing this work except you and I. It is only us who have the full potential and capacity. First you transform you and then you can transform the world."
The special event kicked off with an invigorating Punjab harvest dance performance by NYC Bhangra, followed by videos about the Foundation’s work and introductions to the amazing women behind it.
Each honoree spoke about her own activism and was presented with NYWF’s Walking Stick Award made by young women of the Youth Empowerment Mission. The Walking Stick Awards are works of art that are personally made to capture the strength and beauty of the women honored.
Mary J. Blige stepped up to the mic and immediately expressed how humbled she felt by everyone in the Grand Ballroom. She spoke about how when she was growing up, she could "hear screams from my mother from my abusive father," as well as, continually from other women in her building.
As a child she, "vowed to never see another woman hurt again. Then I grew up to be that battered woman with the low self-esteem... but I believe it was not in vain." When Ms. Blige was at her lowest point she reached out to her fans and to the universe and asked for help. The NYWF answered her cries and "pulled me through it, gave me life and reason to love myself."
Later on, her partner (Steven Stoute) asked her what she was most passionate about, and she replied, "Saving the lives of women... I had never seen a women pick their head up and their back up. I had never seen a woman proud of themselves." With that, FFAWN, the Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now, was created, and Ms. Blige provided an avenue for women to be able to do what she had never before seen or felt.
“At The New York Women’s Foundation we are going to be doing more to increase our investment in women and families in New York,” said Ana Oliveira, NYWF® President and CEO. “The solutions that we fund – as we found out – are very possible. They can happen. So we are going to turn crisis into opportunity and scale up. Together, with the help of our grantee partners and loyal supporters, we will accelerate solutions.”
SEEN: Ambassador Ruben Beltran, Consul General of Mexico in New York City; State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez; and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Chair of The New York Women’s Foundation Board of Directors Carolyn Buck Luce; Board Members and Co-Chairs of the 2010 Celebrating Women Breakfast Sayu Bhojwani and Susan Cullman, among others.
ABOUT: The New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF®) is a voice for women and a force for change. We are a cross-cultural alliance of women catalyzing partnerships and leveraging human and financial capital to achieve sustained economic security and justice for women and girls. With fierce determination, we mobilize hearts, minds and resources to create an equitable and just future for women, families and communities in New York City.
Please visit www.nywf.org for more information.
*photo 1 courtesy of The Noir Effect: Mary J. Blige
*photo 2 by Amber de Vos for PMc: Ana Oliveira, Margarita Rosa, Mary J. Blige, Carolyn Buck Luce at The New York Women’s Foundation’s 23rd Annual Celebrating Women Breakfast, New York Hilton Grand Ballroom, May 13, 2010
*photo 3 by Amber de Vos for PMc: Eileen Fisher, Honoree at The New York Women’s Foundation’s 23rd Annual Celebrating Women Breakfast, New York Hilton Grand Ballroom, May 13, 2010
The American Heart Association Kick-Off Event: 14th Annual Heart of the Hamptons Ball
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Wednesday, May 7th: The American Heart Association hosted the kick-off to their 14th Annual Heart of the Hamptons Ball at the Hotel Chandler . The event was graciously hosted by committee members, Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen. Invitees came out to celebrate the Heart of the Hamptons Ball which will be taking place on Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.
This year, The Heart of the Hamptons Ball, Co-Chaired by Dr. & Mrs. Wayne Isom, Mr. & Mrs. Justin Kennedy, Mr. & Mrs. Reuben Mark, will honor Dr. Karl Krieger with the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding work as the Vice Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. In addition, the Heart Hero Award will be presented to Philip H. Geier, Jr., a heart transplant survivor who has made significant heart-health changes in his life.
With the charming theme of Turn The Beat Around, friends and colleagues from NYC, Long Island and the Hamptons will enjoy the beautiful setting of the Hamptons while eating delicious heart healthy foods, drinking delightful local wines, and dancing, as well as the opportunity to participate in the live and silent auction.
Join the American Heart Association as we work together to reverse the affects of heart disease and stroke. As a community and as a family we can live healthier lives. Through partnerships, education, fundraising, grassroots efforts and everyday lifestyle choices and actions, we can TURN THE BEAT AROUND.
The Heart of the Hamptons Ball, is a lively and swanky affair focused on raising funds for the mission of the American Heart Association: To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases; heart disease and stroke- America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. The American Heart Association funds cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. Please visit: Americanheart.org for more information.
*photo 1: Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen
*photo 2: Philip H. Geier, Jr. and Dr. Karl Krieger, 2010 Hamptons Heart Ball honorees
*photo 3: Committee members: Sharon Goldstein, Layne Lieberman, Elaine Hammond Saladino and Debrah Halpert
National Dance Institute's 33rd Annual Gala
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Once upon a time, Aristotle said, "To sing well and to dance well is to be well educated". Unfortunately, the big, bad arts funding/budgets of most school programs around the country don't seem to agree. While the arts fight to be culturally and developmentally relevant, The National Dance Institute sides with the philosopher.
This non-for-profit organization, founded in 1976 by former New York City Ballet star Jacques d'Ambois, has been bringing the arts free-of-charge to over two million students for the past thirty-three years.
Created with the belief that the arts can motivate and engage participants towards excellence, children explore the process of how movement set to music becomes dance. In true 'pumpkin-turned-carriage' form, NDI training exemplifies the trascendence of ordinary-turned-extraordinary by taking space, music, and bodies and turning it into art. Coupled with training, themes are selected for the year-long program which takes place during the normal school hours, in order to integrate the value of artistic expression with classroom study.
April 19th, 2010: Storytelling around the world was the theme of NDI's 33rd Annual Gala at the Nokia theater in Times Square. The performance, directed by modern-day fairy Godfather himself, d'Amboise and current NDI Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein, starred the advanced students of the program, drawn from thirty NYC partner public schools.
Other prominent characters partaking in the show were Terrence Mann, who emceed the event, and dancers Frank Wood, Allegra Kent, and Isaiah Sheffer in a special performance of 'The Lion and the Mouse'.
The three-hundred and fifty member audience honored James D. Stern, director and producer of the documentary, 'Every Little Step', and producer of the award-winning 'Hairspray', and 'The Producers' as well as NDI alum Jamal Wyse with mascot of the year. The Artistic Honoree Award was presented to musician, actor, and social activist, Henry Belafonte. This 'banana boat' belting star devoted much of his work and life to civil rights and humanitarian issues.
It is fact, not fiction, that participation in the progam leads to behavioral, mental, and physical improvements in students. Everyone knows the stories; Cinderella would have never found her 'happily-ever-after' without being sent to the ball. NDI continues to provide potential Cinderellas with the exposures and opportunities to educate and express themselves. Whether around the world or in New York, that is a story worth telling.
Photo 1: Lari and Barbara Stanton
Photo 2: Allegra Kent and Frank Wood perform “The Lion and the Mouse.”
Photo 3: Robert and Effie Fribourg
Jerritt Clark Shares B-Day Wishes with UrbanPromise
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Thursday, April 1st: Balloons hovered above the intimate setting of LES's The Eldridge last night in celebration of photographer Jerritt Clark's birthday. His birthday wish? To send 15 inner city children ages 11-14 from America’s Most Dangerous city- Camden, NJ, (2009 FBI Ranking) on a week long vacation to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
In 2004, Clark left his comfortable living environment and upbringing to join UrbanPromise in Camden, NJ and "saw firsthand what these kids endure on a daily basis." Clark spent 13 weeks in Camden with the bright children of Urban Promise and helped make their goals a reality. He realized that UrbanPromise has one clear mission: to build a city of promise, one child at a time. Clark held this fundraiser, which featured a silent auction and raffle, to help fulfill his b-day wish of granting 15 wishes of 15 exceptional kids. Stellar.
I had the pleasure of meeting UrbanPromise President, Bruce Main, who launched the organization in 1988 as an outreach to children and teens in the city of Camden. It began with one summer camp of about 80 kids run out of a struggling Baptist Church, and has since grown to a multifaceted institution with a reputation of solidarity and success.
I also had the great fortune of chatting with Camp Spirit Site Director, Alberto Vega. Both he and his brother Tony, participated in various programs at UrbanPromise as children, graduated from college, and returned to work full-time at UrbanPromise. As Main remarked, "It's amazing for the kids to have them as role models to look up to. You know, I used to pick them up since they were 5 years old to take them to camp. They went off to college and then returned to UrbanPromise." That is truly amazing and inspirational.
Among their many programs are private schools for grades k-12, after school programs, summer camps, and various other recreational and educational programs, each targeting different parts of the lives of Camden's youth. This Camden based non-profit currently mentors and schools over 400 children, and are also the largest private employer of teens in the city of Camden, with close to 100 teenagers on its payroll each year. In 2009, Camden had the highest crime rate in the U.S. with 2,333 violent crimes per 100,000 people while the national average was 455 per 100,000. 69-70% of students drop out of the cities two largest high schools and almost 60% of all youth in here live below the poverty line. Camden’s citywide per capita income is only $9,000/yr.
For more information and to learn how you can help, please visit: www.urbanpromiseusa.org.
*All photos by Jerritt Clark
*photo 1: Singer O'Neal McKnight and Russell Simmons
*photo 2: DJ Cassidy
*photo 3: Bruce Main and Alberto Vega
*photo 4: Camden, NJ
Jay Williams: Rising Stars Gala Launch Party
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Monday, February 22nd: Print and Television media outlets convened at Hudson Terrace for a press conference to learn about Jay William's charity of choice: Rising Stars Youth Foundation.
After the briefing with Jay Will, his lovely Mother and Director of Development/Gifting- Althea Bowman Williams, Director of Operations- Dan Gimpel, and Paul Savramis- Founder/Nation Executive Director, the doors opened up for a kick-off cocktail party for the Rising Stars Gala, which will take place April 27th at The New York Athletic Club.
Jay Williams credits and is grateful to his positive and loving upbringing. However, he also recognized at an early age that while he was blessed with a talent that would ultimately lead to great success, education and a supportive community is imperative.
The one thing I am certain of is that everyone needs to understand the value of education in pursuing their dreams. In addition, they have to make certain that they are surrounded by individuals who can share their passions, provide support and direction, teach them the life skills necessary to be successful on and off the playing field, and make a positive contribution to our society. -Jay Williams
Althea agrees. After experiencing her son go through the Rising Stars program, watching his professional success, and now hands-on giving back to Rising Stars, Ms. Williams stresses the importance of the fundamental intellectual strength that develops in children and the need to capture, encourage, and cultivate it early on. She explained that children join Rising Stars in 4th grade and continue through High School Graduation. Ms. Williams also boasted that the first Girls' Basketball Team at Rising Stars will commence this Spring.
In addition, Rising Stars and the New York Knicks have partnered up to promote sports and education in the community. NY Knicks will conduct a series of clinics based on "instructional basketball through a platform that emphasises education and positive family and social values..."
About: Rising Stars Youth Foundation extends to both the public and private educational and business sectors of our society. Rising Stars outreach programs provide an educational model that develops leadership skills, responsibility, and accountability that prepare youth to make the important choices and decisions regarding their personal lives, education and conduct. With the assistance of trained, qualified educators, coaches and volunteers, Rising Stars has had a remarkable success rate on the outcome of both at-risk youth, as well as those youth who have strong parental guidance.
For more information or to learn how you can help, please visit: Rising Stars Youth Foundation.
*photos by Jerritt Clark
*photo 1: Althea Bowman Williams and Jay Williams
*photo 2: Patrick Tully (PR/PR), Jay WIlliams, Guest, David O'Leary (Irish Tenor)
The Princes Ball: Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala to Benefit Lifeline
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Friday, February 5th, 2010- The Princes Ball Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala to benefit The Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, took place in the presence of TRH Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia at Cipriani's 42nd St.
The gorgeous masked guests mingled, noshed, and danced to the beats of Rio. Flown in just for the fete from Brazil- DJ Miller Cruz and Drama's Samba School & Rhythms with Banda Brazil Beleza performed by Marianne Ebert.
HRH Crown Princess Katherine took the stage to thank all the patrons and committee members on behalf of Lifeline, then gathered the rest of the Royal Family to cut the cake. Following a champagne toast to a fantastic evening, the stunning DJ Donna de la Cruz spun a stellar set, keeping the party going... and going...
*All Photos by Nick McGlynn
