By Tim Saunders on
A major children’s charity celebrated 10 years of service last weekend by holding a black-tie gala attended by a host of celebrities.
The gala and fashion show, held on January 13 in Los Angeles, was in honor of The Art of Elysium, a charity that uses drama, music, and art to help children who suffer from serious medical conditions. Sponsored by Vogue and Cartier, the event attracted a crowd of stars who took advantage of the opportunity to support the organization, with Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Lenny Kravitz, Ellen DeGeneres, Courteney Cox, Zach Braff, Ashley Olsen, and Casey Affleck all being spotted at the event.
The Art of Elysium was founded by Jennifer Howell in 1997, with the goal of helping 350 critically ill children in the Los Angeles area every week. By encouraging actors, artists, and musicians to donate their time to the children, the charity grew exponentially, and in 2007 over 20,000 children across North America benefited from the organization’s art-related workshops.
“The Art of Elysium exists because of the passion that artists hold in their hearts,” said Howell. “By serving children in need, the artist is allowed to express this passion in ways that could never be revealed on stage, in a gallery, or behind a camera. As Saint Francis said, ‘It is in giving that we receive’.”
Patricia Arquette, another guest at the gala, summed up the general feeling of the evening when she said: “I’m so glad the Golden Globes were cancelled, because it draws more attention to this.”
More information on how to support The Art Of Elysium can be found at www.theartofelysium.org.
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
