Hollywood stars showed their support for Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at Montage Beverly Hills, during the Academy Award-winning actor’s 2nd Annual Help Haiti Home Gala. Approximately $4 million was raised at the gala, which was presented by Giorgio Armani. Such A-list actors as Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Evans, Minka Kelly, Jon Bon Jovi, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Melanie Griffith and Eva Longoria were in attendance to help raise money.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President Bill Clinton and Ben Stiller delivered special messages during the Gala, which honored former Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean-Max Bellerive; Chairman & CEO of MPAA, Christopher Dodd; and congressman Raul Ruiz. The event was hosted by Anderson Cooper, who commented on Penn’s work in Haiti, saying “A lot of other groups have come and gone, but Sean remains.”
The event also featured special performances by Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Citizen Cope. Vedder sang a heartfelt acoustic rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘My City of Ruin.’
One of the highlights of the evening was when ‘Django Unchained’ Golden Globe nominee DiCaprio got in a bidding war with billionaire Mickey Gooch during the auction. The two eventually agreed to share the winning prize, which went for $400,000 and included spending a day with Clinton.
Penn made several remarks about his efforts in trying to save Haiti after the country’s 2010 earthquake, and subsequently Hurricane Tomas, left the country devastated. “Haiti is our extraordinary neighbor – a country of magic beauty… and most importantly a people whose expertise in discomfort and grace in face of extraordinary hardship has been traded in our own country for so much of the cheap bickering of political discontent, most aggressively by the passive and the uninformed,” the director said.
Penn also commented to his peers in the room, saying everybody could contribute. “We are working with the government, we are working with the people – we are taking their lead… We are going to make your money work. Give us that money… we need the support now. All of you can do this,” he also said.
