On Sunday evening, September 25 at 8:30 PM, the New York theatrical
community will join forces in one of the most important evenings of the
season. In an incredible demonstration of support and camaraderie,
scores of Broadway performers will take the stage at the Gershwin
Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) for Broadway's Celebrity Benefit for
Hurricane Relief. 100% of the profits from this spectacular event will
go directly to America's Second Harvest and Quilts for Kids, two
charitable organizations working directly with the victims of Hurricane
Katrina.
"On Monday August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast
like no other storm in recorded history," says Ben Vereen. "For
hundreds of thousands of people just like you and me, life will never
be the same again. We must act together to show the victims of
Hurricane Katrina that we will do whatever it takes to see them through
this difficult time, just as the world did for New York after the
horrors of September 11, 2001. When ticket sales hit an all time low
and businesses were struggling to keep their doors open, our fellow
Americans rallied around our city. They came to stay in our hotels, eat
at our restaurants, shop in our stores... and they came to see our
shows!"
America's Second Harvest is the largest domestic hunger relief
organization in the United States, feeding over 23 million hungry
Americans each year. As of September 12th, fourteen days after
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, America's Second Harvest
has delivered 20.7 million pounds of food and groceries to displaced
Americans.
Quilts for Kids is a grass-roots organization founded to transform
discontinued designer fabrics into quilts for battered and abused
children as well as children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
In its five years of existence, they have distributed nearly 30,000
quilts worldwide. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, 140 families have
been relocated to the Philadelphia area, with more to come. As Quilts
for Kids has its headquarters in Yardley, PA, the organization has
expanded its mission to include the collection and distribution of
clothing, toiletries, linens and everyday necessities for these
displaced families.
Tickets for Broadway's Celebrity Benefit for Hurricane Relief are $100
and $300, and are available at the Gershwin Theatre box office (222 W.
51st St.) or through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com.