Cindy Crawford And Spike Lee Honored

A model and a director were honored at two different charity events for their humanitarian work this week.

Supermodel Cindy Crawford was the honoree of the 10th annual Rick Weiss Humanitarian Awards in Palm Springs, California, earlier this week – an event that raised money for local charities such as Project New Hope, The Desert AIDS Project, the AIDS Assistance Program, the American Heart Association, Guides Dogs of the Desert, and the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.

Crawford was presented with the award by Daisy Fuentes, and spoke of her brother’s death from leukemia at the age of four and her mother’s efforts to raise funds for research into the disease.

“It inspired me by showing me that everyone can do something and make a difference,” said the 42-year-old.

Over in Los Angeles, film director Spike Lee was the recipient of the sixth annual Behind The Lens Award, and spoke on the involvement of African-Americans in the film industry – both behind-the-scenes and in front of the cameras.

The evening included appearances by Laurence Fishburne, Bill Duke, Damon Wayans, and Snoop Dogg, and celebrated the outstanding achievements of African-Americans in film.

“We’ve got a long way to go to catch up to where we are in sports and music,” said the 51-year-old director of Do The Right Thing and Malcom X.

The event was organized by the Chrysler Foundation, who also donated $25,000 to Lee’s old college in Atlanta – Morehouse College – in recognition of his work. The money will go towards a program to expand the college’s School of Sports Journalism for African-Americans.

“Spike Lee epitomizes the ideal of the Behind the Lens Award,” said Frank Fountain, Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Public Policy at Chrysler. “His thoughtful films and activism in Hollywood have inspired a generation of filmmakers, encouraged actors, challenged basic assumptions and expanded the field to include many more African-Americans in key roles behind the lens. We are thrilled to have him as the awards latest honoree and to celebrate his commitment and passion.”