By Tim Saunders on
The stars were out – clear and bright – on September 16 for An Evening of New Dreams, raising money for the Somaly Mam Foundation.
Susan Sarandon, Daryl Hannah, Petra Nemcova, Jane Seymour, Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Connolly, Kim Kardashian, Kevin Dillon, Seal, Emily Deschanel, Peter Wentz, and Ron Livingston were some of the stars who came together in Beverly Hills for the gala event which featured musical entertainment from Bonnie Raitt. Catered by Tommy Tang and held at the private residence of Foundation supporters Jeff and Mei Sze Greene, the evening raised awareness of global sex trafficking.
The Somaly Mam Foundation is dedicated to combating the global sex slave trade through the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration of victims and through raising global awareness on the issue by funding organizations in various parts of the world that are combating sexual slavery in the field. Named after a survivor of the abhorrent problem, the foundation rescues girls from brothels and offers them shelter and safety, basic education, and reintegration into new communities.
Born in Cambodia, Somaly Mam was forced into a life of prostitution at a very young age, sold by her own grandfather for money. However, after witnessing the murder of a fellow prostitute at the hands of a pimp, Somaly broke free of the cycle and dedicated her life to rescuing girls living in similar circumstances. With Mam’s vision and leadership, the foundation – established in 2007 – strives to get to the root of human trafficking. Their global vision of ending the sex trafficking trade will allow their activities currently in the United States and South East Asia to expand to other countries around the world.
For more information about the Somaly Mam Foundation and how to support their efforts, visit www.somaly.org.
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
