By Tim Saunders on
The stars came out for the Robin Hood Foundation's annual fundraising gala last week, in an evening that shone, sparkled, and made the charity millions of dollars.
About 4,000 people gathered at the event held at the Javits Center in New York, including rapper Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Tom Brokaw, Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, and American Idol winner David Cook. The proceeds from the event, which included an auction, will go to more than 240 poverty-fighting programs in the city, including Abraham House in the South Bronx, which offers social services to relatives of prison inmates; the Children's Defense Fund, which seeks better access to health care for poor children, and Broadway Housing Communities, which provides shelter for the homeless or the mentally ill.
The auction was co-hosted by Conan O’Brien, and the evening also featured performances by Shakira, Sheryl Crow, and John Legend.
“Every single penny raised tonight goes to help people claw their way out of poverty and build better lives for themselves and their families,” said David Saltzman, Robin Hood’s executive director. “Despite what’s going on in the economy, people who are in a position to help others step up, and during tough times they step up even more.”
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
