Category Archive for "Articles" | On The Scene Network

AIDS Research Foundation, amfAR to Honour Scarlett Johansson and Donatella Versace

On February 8, 2017, AIDS foundation, amfAR will hold its annual New York Gala at Cipriani Wall Street to kick off New York Fashion Week. The 19th annual event will be hosted by actress, writer, and director Lena Dunham and will feature a dinner, live auction, musical performance by Grammy-nominated Ellie Goulding, and pay tribute to long-standing supporters Scarlett Johansson and Donatella Versace.

Charitable efforts by Scarlett Johansson include songs with her band Sugar for Sugar featured on the amfAR benefit album called "The Time is Now". Donatella Versace herself has also attended multiple amfAR events over the years and continuously supports the foundation. Event Chairs include high-profile celebrities such as, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, Steve Buscemi, Naomi Campbell, Alan Cumming, Lady Gaga, Iman, Elton John, David Furnish, and Heidi Klum, among others.

Founded in 1985, amfAR has been dedicated towards ending the global AIDS epidemic through support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, and treatment education. The foundation has invested more than $450 million in its programs and has awarded more than 3,300 grants to research teams worldwide. They have also been involved in the development of new treatments, prevention methods, vaccines, clinical studies, and international support. Additionally, amfAR initiated the TREAT Asia (Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training) program, which involves a network of clinics, hospitals, research institutions, and civil society working to ensure safe and effective delivery of HIV treatments across the Asia-Pacific.

The amfAR Gala is one of New York City's most successful AIDS benefits and has included honourees such as President Bill Clinton, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Kenneth Cole, Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Carcelle, Sir Elton John, Clive Davis, Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldeberg, Tom Hanks, Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, Donna Karan, Heidi Klum, Harvey Weinstein, Liza Minnelli, Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Walters, Robin Williams and Anna Wintour.

The amfAR New York Gala is produced by Andrew Boose/AAB Productions.

To learn more about amfAR and the amfAR Foundation, visit www.amfar.org

Bethenny Frankel Launches New Charity Campaign for Women in Crisis

Real Housewife and entrepreneur, Bethenny Frankel has partnered with Dress For Success to create a new campaign, called B Strong: Find Your Yes as an initiative to support women in crisis.

After her bitter divorce from Jason Hoppy, Frankel has used her experience as means to empower women who have also been placed in similar hostile situations. She explains in Us Weekly, "It's hard and I want to get off the ride, but I know that I have to just get on and keep fighting to help other people."

Frankel approached the Dress For Success charity of which she has volunteered for the last three years, stating, "I want to start a charity within your charity, it's for women in abusive situations, women at a crossroads, women in dire straits financially."

Dress For Success is a global non-profit organization, that provides women with support, professional attire, and developmental tools to help them achieve economic independence and thrive in the workplace. The charity implements programs such as suiting to help women find the perfect work and interview outfits. They also offer regular workshops to encourage women and build their confidence and motivation in the workplace.

The B Strong campaign will focus on helping women who have been facing hardships such as divorce, eviction, or mental health issues. They will offer financial services and mental health services free-of-charge for members of the Dress For Success Professional Women's Group.

In an interview with Fortune, Frankel describes her motivation for starting the campaign,

"I was wondering why I was having such a negative experience, and realized to help other people, I need to turn the negativity into a positive. So, I just found myself asking Dress For Success to set up a charity for people who are experiencing an emotional or financial crisis. It will have life coaches, lawyers, counselling…we've got a good system in place."

To learn more about Dress For Success and the B Strong initiative, visit https://www.dressforsuccess.org/

Bono Launches AIDS Campaign with Julia Roberts and Channing Tatum

Bono has recently launched a new campaign for his AIDS charity (RED), allowing donors to win the opportunity to enjoy a private U2 concert, drink tea with Julia Roberts, party with Channing Tatum, have dinner with Neil Patrick Harris, or jet ski and snapchat with DJ Khaled, to name a few.

The "(RED) SHOPATHON" campaign features exclusive merchandise such as (RED) branded notebooks, t-shirts, headphones, speakers, water bottles, etc. The more money donors are willing to give to fight AIDS, the more entries they will receive for the contests.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bono stressed the importance of keeping AIDS in the forefront stating, "It is a battle now for funding. It's just a street battle, pitch battle, and we have to keep this stuff in the news or literally those people don't get the drugs. It's that simple."

(RED) was founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 and has raised $365 million so far with the help of their partners, Apple, Starbucks, Beats by Dre, SalesForce, Gap, etc. After 10 years, the charity has successfully impacted the lives of 70 million people in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania, and Zambia.

In addition to the (RED) SHOPATHON campaign, (RED) has worked with Episode Interactive to unlock exclusive red outfits for their Mean Girls and Demi Lovato games. All proceeds from the Limited Edition (EPISODE)RED Pack purchases go towards The Global Fund and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Individuals are also encouraged to sign the ONE campaign petition through the (RED) website in an effort to tell world leaders to support The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

"This is a really hopeful campaign and we try to be playful, we try not to bring anyone down, but actually the politics behind it is very serious. And the money we raise will keep people alive," Bono adds.

Visit www.omaze.com/red to learn more about the (RED) SHOPATHON. Contest entries close on January 18th, 2017. For more information on (RED), visit www.red.org

Eva Longoria to host National Christmas Tree Lighting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

2016 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in President’s Park will help celebrate 100 years of the National Park Service on December 1st with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. This year's ceremony will be hosted by actress, producer, director, activist and businesswoman Eva Longoria and will feature performances by Kelly Clarkson, Yolanda Adams,…

Courtesy: Island Records

We'll never forget the legacy and brilliance of Amy Winehouse and now fans are invited to recreate their own versions of the singer's classic songs. In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Winehouse's 2006 album, "Back to Black", The Amy Winehouse Foundation has featured downloadable backing tracks for each video on the official Amy Winehouse VEVO YouTube channel.

Fans can create their own versions of the songs and submit it to be judged by Amy's longtime friends and collaborators, Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. The winner will have the opportunity to have their performance recorded and filmed in a studio and featured on the official YouTube channel of Island Records. All funds from the campaign will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

The Amy Winehouse Foundation was founded by Amy's family on September 14th, 2011, just two months after Amy's tragic passing on July 23rd, 2011. The foundation focuses on educating young people about the effects of drug and alcohol misuse, supporting the recovery and development of disadvantaged young people and providing interactive music programs as therapeutic, creative outlets.

Notable work of the Amy Winehouse Foundation includes The Resilience Program, used in over 100 secondary schools in England as means to educate young people about drug and alcohol awareness and prevention. Additionally, Amy's Yard, is a 12-week program designed to provide vulnerable artists between the ages 18-25 to become confident, self-supported musicians, while developing their transferable life skills to attain education and employment. Their most recent project, Amy's Place, is a new recovery house in East London designated to help reintegrate young women into society. The housing project is meant to bridge the gap between women leaving addiction treatment centres and finding independent accommodation.

The last day for entries for the #BacktoBlack10 performance competition is January 31st, 2017.

For more information and how you can get involved, visit www.amywinehousefoundation.org

Diana Krall to Perform for Elton John's 15th Annual AIDS Gala

Wallflower by Diana Krall (Verve Records)

Elton John will be hosting yet another An Enduring Vision gala for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) on November 2nd, 2016 in New York, NY. Diana Krall is set to perform as his special musical guest.

"I'm so thrilled Diana will be joining us for our fall gala this year," stated Elton John on the official Elton John AIDS Foundation website. "Diana is an extraordinary performer and a dear friend, and I'm thrilled beyond belief to welcome an artist of her caliber to our annual New York event."

No surprise that Krall would join the gala for her dear friend Elton John. In an interview with UK newspaper, The Independent in 2015, Krall calls Elton John her hero player-singer, stating, "I used to listen to him as a child, every single record. He still remains to me just completely incredible in the way he plays and the way he performs. Elton is extremely generous, I met him in Hawaii and we became friends. He's so supportive of artists he likes, and I became one of them."

The gala takes place at the Cipriani Wall Street and will be hosted by talk-show host Andy Cohen. Honourees include United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and philanthropists Frank Giustra and Steve Tisch, all of whom have made phenomenal contributions to the global effort to end AIDS. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon oversaw the launch of the Free & Equal Campaign, an international public education campaign promoting equality and acceptance for LGBT people. Businessman and entrepreneur, Frank Giustra donated millions of dollars towards global poverty, disaster relief, conflict prevention, health and economic development and homelessness. Lastly, Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants and Academy Award-winning producer, Steve Tisch devoted time and resources towards ending HIV/AIDS and has supported multiple arts and education programs.

Presenting sponsors for the event include American Airlines, BVLGARI, Robert K. Kraft, The Lauder Foundation, Fiore Group, Sands Bethlehem, and Steve Tisch among various other sponsors and supporters.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation recently announced their achievement in rewarding nearly $4.1 million to 38 organizations across the US, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic in support of addressing the HIV/AIDS epimedic.

To learn more about the EJAF and how you can support the foundation, go to http://newyork.ejaf.org/

Victoria Beckham and son, Brooklyn team up for UNAIDS charity mission in Kenya

UNAIDS

Fashion icon, Victoria Beckham recently toned down the glamour and visited Kenya with her son, Brooklyn (17) in an effort to raise awareness about HIV. The Beckham family joined forces with UNAIDS and Born Free Africa to advocate for HIV testing and treatment for adolescents and especially young women.

Throughout the course of their three-day trip, Victoria and Brooklyn met with health workers and spent time with children and community members affected by the virus. They visited Kiambu country as well as Kisumu, which has one of the highest HIV rates in the country.

"HIV used to destroy communities and what I've seen here is the people supporting each other. Communities are supporting each other and I want to see that around the whole world," she states in the video (shown below).

Meanwhile, Brooklyn used his athletic talent in a national football campaign called "Maisha Kick Out HIV Stigma" as means to motivate young people to get tested for HIV and educate them on the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention.

Victoria Beckham was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador in 2014 and with the efforts of UNAIDS and Born Free Africa, new infections have decreased globally by more than 50 percent.

She emphasizes the importance of awareness and prevention, stating,"Ending AIDS can happen, but only if we join together and end all forms of stigma and discrimination."

To learn more about UNAIDS and Born Free Africa, visit:

http://www.unaids.org/

http://bornfreeafrica.org/

Dave Benett/Getty Images

J.K Rowling educates fans about donating to orphanages with new charitable campaign for Lumos

Renowned author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has launched a new campaign for her charity, Lumos with a recent Facebook Live Interview.

Lumos was founded by Rowling in an effort to support and transform the lives of children separated from their families and placed in orphanages.

"I've met countless people who have told me that [Harry Potter] was their refuge, Hogwarts was their safe place and those characters were their family, so that is hugely meaningful to me," she says in the video (shown below). Rowling urges her fans to think twice before donating to orphanages, stating, "What you may be doing is contributing to real harm."

She also encourages individuals to do their research, before donating, "If people understand, I'm not going to give money to this orphanage, I'm going to do a little bit of research and I'm going to find out who's operating in that country and who will reunite families. I'll give the money there."

The We Are Lumos Worldwide Campaign includes Rowling's new limited edition shirts, of which 60 percent of the purchase price of each shirt will go towards Lumos programs and support the eight million children placed in institutions. Each shirt features a quote taken directly from her Harvard commencement speech in 2008, "We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already."

In addition to her discussing her Lumos campaign, Rowling also highlights her busy schedule with her new film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well as her recent stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Watch the full interview below.

To support Lumos and learn more about the We Are Lumos Worldwide Campaign, visit https://wearelumos.org/worldwide/

Canadian Launch of Star of Bombay Gin by Bombay Sapphire

We were On The Scene at the Private Sail with Star of Bombay - a VIP event held on board of the iconic tall ship "Kajama" - to celebrate the Canadian launch of Bombay Sapphire's new Premium Gin.

Sailing off into the sunset, guests were treated to a variety of cocktails and snacks curated by Bombay Sapphire's Master of Botanicals - Ivano Tonutti who explains: “The idea with Star of Bombay was to create a gin with an increased perception of the Bombay top-note aromatics. It is possible to simply add new botanicals to a gin and bring a ‘note’ of their character over the spirit, but this is not the style of Bombay. We vapour infuse our botanicals. Painstaking flavour trials had to be made to achieve the precise quantities and qualities that could interact with all the other botanicals and integrate into the heart of the gin. It is this perfect balance that we aim for.”

Here are some Star of Bombay cocktail recipes:

Star of Bombay & Tonic

1 Part Star of Bombay
2 Parts Premium Tonic Water
One-Inch Cubed Ice
Orange Peel
Rocks Glass

Constellation

1 Part Star of Bombay
0.5 Parts Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 Parts Tea Syrup
1 Teaspoon St. Germain
2 Parts Prosecco
Lavender Garnish
Champagne Flute

50/50 Martini

1.5 Parts Star of Bombay
1.5 Parts Martini Dry Vermouth
2 Dashes Orange Bitters
Orange Peel
Chilled Coupe Glass

Galaxy Espresso Negroni

1 Part Star of Bombay
1 Part Martini Rosso
1 Part Campari
0.5 Parts Coffee
Orange Wheel and Coffee Bean
Chilled Coupe Glass

Star of Bombay Gin - Canadian Launch on the Tall Ship Kajama

Master of Botanicals - Ivano Tonutti - Star of Bombay Gin - Canadian Launch on the Tall Ship Kajama

"Featuring two additional botanicals – Bergamot orange peel from Calabria in southern Italy and Ambrette seed from Ecuador – on top of the 10 botanicals that feature in their flagship gin Bombay Sapphire, Star of Bombay is also packaged in a sexy looking bottle with an amazing amount of detail." - Gin Foundry

Star of Bombay is the first addition to the range of gins - like Bombay Sapphire, Bombay Sapphire East and Bombay Dry - to be produced at the recently restored Laverstoke Mill, which opened it's doors in October 2014.

To find out more about Star of Bombay Premium Gin you can visit www.bombaysapphire.com

Darriel Roy tries the new Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

We've teamed up with Subway to try their new Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich! #BBQSeoulFood

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