IT Business Products : Hope for Children Gala: A Night to Remember

The 10th Anniversary Samsung Hope for Children Gala was a star-studded affair that raised $1.4 million and honored individuals and organizations that have made a difference in children’s lives.

This year’s Samsung Hope for Children Gala was held on June 7 at Cipriani Wall Street, in the heart of New York City’s financial district. Check out this day-in-the-life-of video and get a behind-the-scenes peek at John Legend’s Hope for Children Gala experience:

Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the evening:

A silent auction was held throughout the evening that helped raise $100,000. Volunteers circulated the room with Galaxy Tabs so guests could bid on items such as sports and music memorabilia, trips, jewelry and even cars. In addition to the auction, a social action campaign was started to help get the online community involved. Every tweet that included #Hope4Children was worth 25 cents, resulting in $25,000 raised for the evening.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Giants and Jets quarterbacks Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez, actress Demi Moore, NJ Housewives star Caroline Manzo, Sex and the City star Chris Noth were just some of the notable names to make an appearance. Above, Tim Baxter, President of the Consumer Business Division, Samsung Electronics America, and Jennifer Lopez introduce the 2011 Samsung Hope for Children Ambassador Award recipient.

Former President Bill Clinton was honored with the 2011 Samsung Hope for Children Ambassador Award for his continued efforts to improve the lives of children around the world. Here, he shows one of the works of art created by Haley Moss, the recipient of the Teen Hero Award.

Haley Moss, a 16-year-old-girl with high-functioning Autism and a sought-after artist, accepts her Teen Hero Award by thanking everyone who’s helped her along the way. Her art has been shown in several galleries throughout southern Florida and she’s been featured on CNN. Haley will also be the subject of an upcoming documentary on WXEL. In addition to being an artist, Haley is also an accomplished author who wrote Middle School—The Stuff Nobody Tells You About: A Teenage Girl with ASD Share Her Experiences.

Also honored were Teachers of the Year Ryan Sawtell from the Harlem Village Academies and Jasmin Candelario from Middle School 410 for their innovation in the classroom and their efforts to challenge and inspire their students.

Gala guests were entertained by a handful of performances throughout the night, including an amazing spotlight solo by Branford Marsalis to start the evening, a memorable duet by John Legend and Jason Mraz (pictured above) and a rousing performance by Harry Connick, Jr.

The night ended on a high note with Harry Connick, Jr. leading a traditional New Orleans second line through the Cipirani ballroom.

With 890 people in attendance, the gala exceeded expectations and surpassed this year’s goal by raising $1.4 million for the Samsung Hope for Children Charities, including the William J. Clinton Foundation, NOLA Musicians’ Village, The Boomer Esiason Foundation, The Dan Marino Foundation, The Maribel Foundation, The Jason Mraz Foundation, Show Me Campaign, The DNA Foundation, Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation, The Jason Taylor Foundation and Friends of Children’s Hospital Foundation.

For more photos and videos from the event, visit the Samsung Flickr page.

View full post on ARTICLE