APJ Brunch

I can't believe it's already February! Where did January go? I have a lot to catch you up on!

On January 24th, Artists for Peace and Justice held a brunch in L.A. for two purposes: first, to get emergency relief to the children of Haiti and second, to raise money for long-term relief so that Haiti will not once again be forgotten as soon as it is out of the news. It was incredible. One hundred friends and supporters of APJ pledged to support the disaster-stricken nation over the next five to ten years, committing funds to building and funding schools in a country where most children don't have access to basic education.

Paul Haggis and Maria Bello literally jumped out of their car, arriving directly from the airport, "with the sands of Haiti spilling from their pockets." Among many others, some of the people who were already at the brunch was Charlize Theron (wearing a stunning yellow patterened dress!), Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, Marcia Cross, Robert DeNiro, Demi Moore and Seth Green. Two Bonds, Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, were there, sitting across from each other, which was really quite a sight! Macy Gray performed "I Try", Sheryl Crow sang "Everyday is a Winding Road", Moby did a rendition of "Ring of Fire" and Jackson Browne performed as well.

The event was really moving. Everyone was so generous. Anna Lynne McCord was gracious and pledged to give $10,000 for 10 years. Sean Penn wasn't able to attend, but called Paul Haggis personally to pledge $50K a year for 5 years towards building schools in Haiti. Other celebrities who pledged $50K a year for 5 years included Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Gerard Butler and Simon Barker and his wife Rebecca Rigg.

A huge thank you to Paul Haggis and his wife Deborah, who were so gracious to open up their homes and hearts to host this event. I've posted some photos from the event below. I encourage you to visit http://www.artistsforpeaceandjustice.com to learn more and to donate- every little bit helps and they need us now more than ever.

Hope you're having a great week! Speak soon.
XO Natasha