Stars Shine for Sick Kids at Diamonds in the Sky Gala

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:17:00 -0000

Who needs Hollywood when stars make Virginia Beach their playground for a memorable black-tie affair?

Musical guest Starship with Mickey Thomas and celebrity emcee Teri Polo of the Meet the Parents movie fame lend their star power to the 4th Annual Diamonds in the Sky Gala hosted by the We Promise Foundation.

The 4th Annual Diamonds in the Sky Gala will be held at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel this Wed., Sept. 2nd, and features silent and live auctions of celebrity memorabilia, athletic event and concert tickets, exotic vacation packages and much more. Event proceeds are used to put smiles on the faces of children in Hampton Roads and across the country who face tremendous adversity as a result of life-threatening illness or severe hardship.

Many other stars who aren’t able to make stage appearances endorse the We Promise Foundation’s efforts with donations to the Gala’s silent and live auctions. From signed posters and books to personal items and priceless collectibles, guests can browse and bid on items from celebrity donors such as Madonna, Richard Petty, Cheryl Tiegs, Peyton and Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, James Earl Jones, Mario Andretti, Leonardo diCaprio and Peter Coyote, just to name a few.

The Gala is complemented by the 11th Annual Charity Golf Classic played at the Signature at West Neck Golf Course on Thurs., Sept.3rd. The afternoon event is a sponsor/patron-only event that toasts more than 20 benefiting children who join the players on the course. For golf and gala tickets or more information, contact Jill Haag at #757-233-7111 or jahaag@chartway.com.

With more than 441 wishes funded for Hampton Roads children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and grants for countless other programs across the country funded since 1999, the We Promise Foundation is making a difference in the lives of its members and their community. Last year’s annual Gala and Golf Classic raised a combined $385,000 for the We Promise Foundation, which benefited charities including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater, St. Mary’s Infant Home and others.

The continued success of these events is due, in large part, to the generous commitment and sponsorship of Fidelity National Information Services, Summit Information Systems, VISA USA, GTI Systems, Inc., Harland-Clarke, Pender & Coward, WAVY-TV 10, Hampton Roads Magazine, Professional Printing Center, Summs Skip & Collection, Americomm Direct Marketing and GVA Advantis Construction. A variety of sponsorship packages still are available for the Diamonds in the Sky Gala and Annual Golf Classic.

About the We Promise Foundation®
As the charitable arm of Chartway Federal Credit Union, the We Promise Foundation® is dedicated to making dreams come true for children struggling with degenerative, life-threatening, debilitating or chronic illnesses, or those facing tremendous hardship. The foundation provides funding within the communities the credit union serves with a single goal: to put smiles on a child’s face by making their dreams come true. The foundation was launched in 2005 based on the enduring success of Chartway’s previous charitable events. Since 1999, Chartway and its We Promise Foundation have raised more than $2M in support of numerous Make-A-Wish Foundation chapters, St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children, Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater and other Hampton Roads-area charitable groups. For more information, click on www.WePromiseFoundation.com.

Chartway Federal Credit Union, chartered in 1959, is a not-for-profit financial institution headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va. With assets exceeding $1.3 billion, it serves nearly 150,000 members in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. For more information, visit www.chartway.com.

Geena Davis, Role Model and Advocate for Our Children

Thu, 03 May 2007 20:19:29 -0000

Written by B. Todi

Geena Davis was celebrated for her work off screen – founding and promoting the See Jane program of Dads & Daughters – in Beverly Hills, California on May 1, 2007 at the USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Awards.

The evening, hosted by Kevin Nealon and Natasha Henstridge, began with a silent auction to benefit the See Jane program. It then moved onto a dinner and numerous speakers praising Ms. Davis for her genius starting the program (after the birth of her first child, a girl), her ability to inspire others, and for her passion advocating for all our children. Craig Moon, President and Publisher of USA TODAY, and father of one boy and four girls, spoke generously of Ms. Davis at the ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel, saying she was rewriting the very definition of the word “hero”.

Peter Coyote, actor, activist and single father of a grown daughter, wished the See Jane program had existed sooner. Though he joked, he hadn’t done too badly since his daughter is now a PhD and has a daughter of her own.

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment and long-time friend, stressed the importance of the See Jane program because “the media is where young girls get their first role models”. She also said of Ms. Davis “you are my blessing”.

And Kathy Najimy, mother of a ten-year old girl, thanked “Auntie Geena” because “girl-power stories are not easy to find”. In closing, Ms. Najimy was greeted with applause of agreement when in reference to Ms. Davis as a role model in her show Commander in Chief said, “let’s write her name in for ’08”.

Finally, Geena Davis took the stage, thanking everyone for his or her kind words and restating the program’s mission statement “By making it common for our youngest children to see everywhere a balance of active and complex male and female characters, girls and boys will grow up to empathize with and care more about each others’ stories”. Ms. Davis recognized Ms. Najimy as one of the early supporters of See Jane and joked that she couldn’t be the “auntie” since they were the same age.

Ms. Davis also thanked the See Jane program director, Crystal Allene Cooke and Dr. Stacy Smith of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication for the ongoing in-depth research—to paraphrase—proving her instincts were right.

To learn more about the See Jane program and see what you can do to
make a difference, visit the See Jane website.

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