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Third Annual Children Benefit to support its SaveABaby initiative was a SMASH!
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Last Night, the Hammerstein Ballroom was transformed into Monte Carlo for a good cause. The event was co-hosted by Russell Simmons, World Series of Poker Jamie Gold, Supermodel Paulina Porizkova, Founder of Sunflower Children Helena Houdova, Executive Director of Sunflower Children and Model Lane Carlson, and Gala Sponsor and investment banker Tim Kelly. Music Legend Quincy Jones was honored!
This black tie affair featured a Vegas style Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament, a boxing and martial arts contest featuring investment bankers boxing against each other, and a fashion show by Ford Models. Helena Houdova and Lane Carson founded the charity five and a half years ago. "It was a very grass roots...we both shared very similar philanthropic interests, Helena Hoduva was trying to launch the charity out in California and I really believed in giving back and providing basic survival needs for children. It has been a fantactic ride," said Carsan. Lane has been involved in charity since he was 14 years old, and his family always made an effort to do charity.
"They have have a spirit of giving I have never seen in my life. It is from the soul up," said Quincy Jones who was being honored. Quincy took the time to tell Examiner.com what he is working on. They are doing a movie in Brazil about carnival. "I'm very excited and its directed by Billy Friedkin." Friedkin most notably directed "The Exorcist." They will begin filming on Valentine's Day. Quincy is also working on four albums. He is one busy mogul. He is about to start working on Tony Bennett's new album and Stevie Wonder's new album. He is also working on an album with actor Joe Pesci, who Jones says has a great voice.
Quincy is still saddened by the loss of Michael Jackson. He saw "This is It." "Yes I just saw it, the premiere. We just did a three day show in Bermuda, and I saw it. I'm still torn up about that. It's still surrealistic I can't get my arms around it. I don't know how to deal with it. It's painful its like part of your soul you know Michael we did a lot of work together, and we're going to do a show on CNN. Soledad O'Brian asked me to do a 2 hour show to tell the real truth about all the music from "The Wiz" all the way through to "We are the World" everything."
Sunflower Children (sunflowerchildren.org) strives to help children around the world overcome the burdens of poverty, disease or disability to become healthy, educated and subsistent contributors to society. Sunflower believes that education is the key to achieving this goal. The organization focuses on providing healthcare and nutritional guidance, enabling the children in Sunflower communities to grow up strong and pursue educational growth. The SAVEABABY Initiative aims to raise $5.5 million by 2011 to save an estimated 5,500 babies from a lifetime of HIV. As each day, 1,800 children become infected with HIV and 1,400 children under age fifteen die from HIV-related diseases every year. With the hopes of reducing the rate of HIV infections in some of the world’s most poverty stricken countries, the program enables HIV positive expectant mothers to deliver healthy, HIV-FREE babies. Patients are provided medical, nutritional, and educational care throughout their entire pregnancy and delivery and are offered free transportation to and from the organization’s clinics. Expectant mothers are able to learn how to control their own HIV and how to prevent passing it on to their children after birth.
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