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Dare2Care Oscar Gala 2009

We made history with our first ever Night to Make a Difference on Oscar® night. Our live show was seen in 71 countries and we are still getting questions and comments from people all over the world who watched it live or viewed the archive.  What a blessing to have an opportunity like the night of the Academy Awards® to sprinkle a little of the magic dust from Oscar® towards advocacy and charity. We love the movies because they make us feel something...they drive us to action, cause us to question, shock us into reality, allow us to dream and remind us of our human connection. That's what making a difference is all about, and it is the reason why our viewing dinner and party made such a connection with Hollywood.

Stars have always been agents of change and the entertainment industry has a huge heart. Several of its brightest stars showed up for our event as our Ambassadors of Change...inspiring our audience to make a difference in their own lives and in the world. I am so honored by their participation and deeply grateful for their meaningful support and friendship.

The energy in our party was supportive, positive and real…lead by one of the women I look to for example and strength, Olivia Newton-John. Olivia has been a mentor and inspiration for me for years and it was her example that led me to create the Ambassadors for our broadcast. She has always taken life's challenges and faced them with grace and goodness and then paid it forward so others could benefit. Her efforts to focus on wellness and prevention at her Cancer and Wellness Centre in her native Australia (one of our beneficiaries) is just another reflection of how effortlessly she gives back.

One of my favorite moments of the night was when she dedicated a song from the stage directly to me. As I sat in the audience and listened to her sing “Don't Stop Believing”, I thought wow, I love this lady! Thank you is not a big enough word for my gratitude.

Then there was David Foster...the incomparable David Foster! He provided the magic and the platform from which the rest of the night was built. Consistently generous and timelessly handsome, David never failed to provide the energy and commitment that is the fuel which powers all change. His David Foster Foundation is very successful, as is everything he touches. I will be forever grateful for David's faith in our mission.

Even with all the outrageous celebrity support we received, my favorite moment came courtesy of five women from the LA Women's Shelter. With no real homes, no jobs, but plenty of passion, these ladies stole the show! We "hired" them as extras and had the spectacular Ken Paves supervise their red carpet makeovers getting them the hair, makeup and wardrobe to join the celebs and walk past all those cameras! We also provided them with life coaching that is continuing to help them recreate their lives.

The idea was to allow these five brave women be the inspiration for others who might not have the courage to show up in their own lives. My favorite moment came when they were on the red carpet with their heads held high and their shoulders pulled back. One of them had received a text message from her child which said, “Mom I see you on the red carpet with all the stars and I'm so proud of you!” To me, that's making a difference.

These are women who had never been to prom, never been allowed to dream as big as they deserve. They have, in many cases, had to fight for their children and even their own lives...sometimes their sanity. Yet there they were taking the stage and stealing the spotlight.

Ken Paves is an absolute healer! A gentle soul, a heart of gold and more kindness than I have ever seen… He may be known for his work on Hollywood's most glamorous, but he would be the first to tell you that working with "real" women encouraging acceptance and inspiring confidence is where he really shines! Thanks so much Ken!

All of us who worked on the production send major love to Robbie Blumenfeld who held this like a baby. It was his consistent caring and sense of cool that saved the day time and time again. Robbie, we applaud you and your extraordinary team! Thank you to all of our Celebrity Ambassadors, all the sponsors who were our heroes and all the people who came together on this Night to Make a Difference.

We are so thankful to have the support of everyone who bought a ticket to our event and made a donation, but we are especially grateful to these generous people who opened up their hearts and their wallets for our auction items:

John Ferriter, Dr. George & Kym Rapier, Ben Neuman, Cynthia P. Stafford, Chad Cooper, Joan Dangerfield

This group of people are responsible for over $100 thousand dollars of help for our causes!

We are so deeply grateful...

 

 

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