Many of the who’s who of Hollywood, plus a bunch of other celebrities, have helped raise 33 million dollars to support IDF soldiers.
Over $33 million was raised at the annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Gala on Thursday, November 6, 2014, breaking all records at the event where more than 1,200 supporters from the United States and Israel gathered to support the brave men and women of the IDF. Those in attendance included respected leaders and widely-known figures from the Hollywood, business, tech, sports and political communities. FIDF National Board Member and major supporter, Haim Saban, and his wife, Cheryl, served as chairs of the star-studded Gala that took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
Notable donations made at the event included $9 million from Larry Ellison, co-founder and Chairman of Oracle Corporation; $5 million from Sheldon and Miriam Adelson; $5.2 million from brothers Maurice and Paul Marciano of Guess Jeans; $3.6 million from Cheryl and Haim Saban; $2 million from Steve Tisch, Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants; $1 million from Leo David, founder of the Western Region of the FIDF; and $1.6 million from The Helmsley Charitable Trust. In addition, first-time attendees and donors Michael and Susan Dell gave $1.8 million to fund IMPACT! educational scholarships. These generous gifts demonstrate the overwhelming support for FIDF.
“It is incredibly touching to see how advocacy for the FIDF has grown in Los Angeles,” said Haim Saban. “The caliber of Gala attendees from Hollywood, tech, business and other walks of life – especially a large contingent of people without ties to Israel or Judaism – ultimately speaks to their admiration for the heroic men and women of the IDF and the incredible work that the FIDF does to support them. Tonight’s Gala has become an event that the Los Angeles community looks forward to each year as a chance to honor the soldiers who defend the State of Israel.”
“In my mind, there is no greater honor than supporting some of the bravest people in the world, and I thank FIDF for providing us with this opportunity year-after-year to celebrate and support these soldiers,” said Larry Ellison. “These men and women come together with indefatigable purpose, to defend Israel and strive to co-exist in peace.”
Mr. Saban continued, “On behalf of the FIDF, I am grateful to our donors, sponsors and supporters, whose generosity enables us to keep changing lives for those upholding the freedoms of the Jewish community worldwide.”
The evening began with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a program emceed by bestselling author and political analyst, Monica Crowley, and featured unforgettable performances by Ricky Martin, David Foster and Friends and The Canadian Tenors. Among the many participants at the Gala were former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barbra Streisand, Sylvester Stallone, Chris Tucker, Pamela Anderson, Kathy Ireland, Joanna Krupa, Avi Arad, Founder of Arad Productions Inc. and Founder and former CEO of Marvel Studios, and his wife Joyce, Avi Lerner, Co-Chairman of NuImage, and Ben Silverman, Founder and CEO of Electus, and his wife Jennifer Cuoco.
The Jerusalem Post report contains this from Pamela Anderson:
Pamela Anderson, who also attended, showed her love for the holy land and said that “Israel is magical. It is one of my favorite places to be. A mixture of old and new, arts, music, freedom. The people of Israel are interesting, aware and generous. You can see they are very senstive to the world’s problems. Israel is a place everyone must experience.”
http://youtu.be/f7HtpVI5Ih0
http://youtu.be/l2ED8MahdEw
There’s a bunch more photos here, revealing more of the celebrities in attendance, including:
- Musician David Foster
- A.J McLean from the Backstreet Boys
- Basketballers Spencer Hawes and Jordan Farmar (remember him?)
- Conservative commentator Monica Crowley
- Singer-songwriter Austin Brown
My pro-Israel celebrities post just got bigger.
