Event features Christiane Amanpour, James Rubin and Richard Holbrooke, with live music by hip hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari and DJ Mark Ronson
NEW YORK | In light of the recent events in the Middle East, the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance coexistence, is now more important than ever.
Tonight at the Copacabana, the Seeds of Peace Bid for Peace Celebrity Auction, now in its 7th year, helped raise significant money toward programs that bring together Israelis and Palestinians as well as youth from other conflict areas.
This year’s event honored Christiane Amanpour of CNN; Former Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin; former US Ambassador to the UN Richard C. Holbrooke; and Israeli and Palestinian Seeds graduates.
Aaron David Miller, Seeds of Peace President and former negotiator on Arab-Israeli affairs at the US Department of State also made brief remarks. Universal Artists’ Miri Ben-Ari, the hip hop violinist and recent Grammy Award-winner for her collaboration on Kanye West’s Jesus Walks, performed live to a crowd of over 1,200 young professionals from New York City who support the organization.
“Peace starts with education, which is what I promote through my music,” said Ben-Ari, who was born in Israel. “Playing at the Seeds of Peace benefit allows me to promote this message.”
Following Ben-Ari, celebrated DJ Mark Ronson kept the crowd on its feet. Celebrities from stage and screen as well as other notables “walked the path to peace” down the red carpet accompanied by a Seeds of Peace graduate.
Some of the celebrities supporting Seeds of Peace through attending the event, lending their name to the “Honorary Celebrity Host Committee,” or donating an item for the auction include Christine Baranski, Lewis Black, Andy Borowitz, Josh Charles, Anderson Cooper, Billy Crudup, Robert DeNiro, Peter Dinklage, Rocco DiSpirito, Edie Falco, Sally Field, Tom Friedman, Janeane Garofalo, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rashida Jones, Myron Kandel, Anne Meara, Bebe Neuwirth, Michael Nouri, Zac Posen, Roger Rees, Charlie Rose, Anthony Ruivivar, Susan Sarandon, Tony Shaloub, Elisabeth Shue, Ron Silver, Jerry Stiller, Sam Waterston and Yvonne Jung.
In addition to the live performances and celebrity appearances, the event featured over 50 premium live and silent auction items that offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences. All items for the auction were donated ensuring that 100 percent of auction proceeds will be directed towards Seeds of Peace programming.
Auction items included:
- Walk-On roles to 24 and Arrested Development
- Gourmet dinner prepared by Rocco DiSpirito
- Red carpet tickets to the 2006 Grammy Awards
- Private lunches with Tom Friedman, Sam Waterston, Lewis Black, and Charlie Rose
- Clothing worn by Jennifer Gardner on Alias
- Private movie screening of Bewitched and Memoirs of a Geisha
- Tickets to the finale of Survivor Palau and to a taping of American Idol
- Birthday party with Sesame Street’s Elmo
- Private tour of the MoMA with curator
Each year, the Bid for Peace Celebrity Auction is co-sponsored by its Young Leadership Committee, a group of established New York professionals dedicated to advancing and promoting Seeds of Peace. Through ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, and auction revenue, this year’s event is expected to generate close to $850K for the organization.
Corporate sponsors this year included CNN, Grey Goose, Daily Candy, Discovery Channel, Tishman Speyer, McGraw-Hill, Forest City Ratner Companies, Moody’s, Deutsche Bank, and BMG Music Publishing.
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has graduated over 2,500 teenagers from its internationally recognized program that begins at its International Camp in Maine and continues through its Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem. More information can be found at www.seedsofpeace.org.