GO GREEN!
There are plenty of environmental issues that demand our attention these days and when it comes to making a difference, Global Green is on the scene. The organization presented its 2010 Millennium Awards at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica with plenty of local notables on hand to show their support.
Pierce Brosnan and wife Keely Shaye Smith have had the plight of the world’s whales at the top of their list. The two have worked almost nonstop to raise public awareness. “The whales of the world desperately need a hero,” says Pierce. “We need to speak up now.”
The event also raised money for Global Green’s response to the Gulf oil spill crisis. Much needed funds will support communities that have been impacted and help document the spill’s ills. Global do-gooders are fighting for increased regulation of the oil industry and more in the way of renewable energy and clean technologies.
An eco-conscious crowd of 400 folks turned out to honor Global Green President Matt Petersen and the Environmental Protection Agency as well as Malibu locals James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron, who accepted their award via videotape. The high profile pair shares a longtime commitment to environmental advocacy and was presented with the Entertainment Industry Environmental Leadership Award. They received high praise for the environmental message of the box office blockbuster AVATAR. There were also accolades for Suzy’s work to support green schools through the founding of MUSE Elementary, a school that inspires children to live more environmentally conscious lives.
Global Green was founded in 1994 and advocates smart solutions to climate change. The event raised $300,000 for eco-causes, which aim to make our small blue planet a greener place with a brighter future.
INNER VISION
There was plenty of insight at the Four Seasons hotel as KCET presented its annual Visionary Awards. Patrick Soon-Shiong and Michele B. Chan were feted at the affair. Producer Jerry Zucker described the dynamic duo as favorites among his “physician, surgeon, actress, scientist, surfer, billionaire friends.”
The couple has given a whopping $135 million to St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica as well as a generous donation to reopen Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital.
In addition, they’ve chipped in funding for the arts, healthcare, education, children’s causes, and on and on. Guests, including Lisa Ling and former Gov. Gray Davis, were treated to a fine wine and dine as well as a special musical performance by Molly Ringwald. The flame-haired songbird belted out the ballads with a quartet of musicians known as Molly plus Four. Proceeds from the event will keep quality programming on public TV.
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