Gilda's Club Worldwide, the headquarters organization for Gilda's Club,
the international network which offers free social and emotional
support to all people touched by cancer, will honor Rosie O'Donnell at
their Gala black tie benefit on Thursday evening, May 18 at The
Mandarin Oriental (in the Time Warner Center).
There will be a special presentation by Melissa Etheridge. Also being
honored are Pamela Baxter, President & CEO, LVMH Perfumes &
Cosmetics, N.A. and Jimmie C. Holland, MD of Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center. For the very first time, an online auction
will be held in conjunction with the benefit beginning May 8 for two
weeks and hosted by
www.charitybuzz.com. The evening issponsored
by LEXUS.
The Gala, celebrating 11 years of welcoming people, including children
of all ages, living with cancer, will be hosted by ABC-TV's Joel
Siegel. Honorary Chairs include
Julianne Moore & Bart Freundlich,
Karen and
Gene Wilder. Some of the items available for the
online auction includes the world's first high-performance luxury
hybrid, the Lexus GS 450h (donated by Lexus); a Culinary Journeys
travel experience; visits to Aspen, Sun Valley and Napa; a visit with
Jim Belushi on the set of his ABC-TV series "According to Jim"; tickets
to Bette Midler's annual Hulaween Ball donated by The Divine Ms. M;
fashion experiences from attending a Donna Karan fashion show and
receiving a $2,500 gift certificate to an internship at Christian Dior;
and much more.
Named in memory of the late comedian
Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer on May 20, 1989, Gilda's Club
Worldwide (based in New York) offers non-residential meeting places
where men, women and children with cancer and their families and
friends come together for support. The Gilda's Club support
system is free of charge for all regardless of income, type of cancer
or stage of illness, at their 20 clubhouses in the United States and
Canada. Through support groups, social activities and educational
seminars, Gilda's Club helps people learn how to live with cancer in
the affirming company of a community of peers.
O'Donnell--who is joining the talk show "The View"--most recently appeared as Golde in the recent Broadway revival of
Fiddler on the Roof; she had previously appeared on Broadway in Seussical (as The Cat in the Hat) and in Grease (as Rizzo). O'Donnell, who began her career as a stand-up comedian, also produced the Boy George musical Taboo, and film and TV credits include Tarzan, Harriet the Spy, Now and Then, Exit to Eden, A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle,
"Will & Grace," and "Queer as Folk." O'Donnell, who is a also
known as a vocal advocate of gay and lesbian rights, is married to Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell, with whom she has four children.
The
Gilda's Club Worldwide Benefit Gala will take place on Thursday evening
May 18 at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Ballroom (80 Columbus Circle at
West 60 Street, in the Time Warner Center). Cocktail
reception begins at 7:00 PM. Dinner and auction are at 8:00
PM. Tickets are $1,000 and $2,500. For info, call
914-579-1000.
Visit
www.gildasclub.org or
www.charitybuzz.com for more information.
