Sean Penn To Present Humanitarian Award To Jimmy Jean Louis 5/19

Jimmy Jean-Louis, star of NBC's action-drama "Heroes" and founder of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, will receive the Humanitarian Award from Academy Award winning actor Sean Penn during International Luxury Media's 3rd Annual Better World Awards' (BWA) Glitter and Glam Ball. The invitation-only black-tie gala, cocktail reception and dinner will take place at The Lotus VIP Club On Le Goeland Beach during the Cannes Film Festival on May 19.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who will receive the BWA Fashion Philanthropy Award, will be among the special guests that include Boris Becker, Prince Filliberto de Savoie, Princess Clotilde Courau, Elie Saab, Denise Rich, Hofit Golan, the Al-Rashid family, Troy Bayliss, Baden Cooke, and Ana Cunya.

The exclusive evening includes musical performances by Bryan Ferry and Ky-Mani Marley, a celebrity poker tournament, fashion show by StyleShopUSA, and a live luxury charity auction benefiting Hollywood Unites for Haiti and Fashion Relief for Haiti.

Jimmy was born in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After the powerful 2010 earthquake, Jean-Louis went back to Haiti to search for his elderly parents. Sadly, he learned that a house he had grown up in collapsed, killing several of his relatives.

"Haiti has suffered many set backs in its rich history and yet the Haitian people have never lost the character to face adversity with creativity, resilience, and community," said Jean-Louis. "It want to do everything in my power to comfort those who desperately need help and rebuild the country that I love."

The tragic events inspired Jean-Louis to change the focus of his charity Hollywood Unites for Haiti, whose original mission was to provide sports and cultural education to underprivileged youth on the island. The group mobilized for disaster relief after the magnitude-7 earthquake struck.

The organization allocates 100% of its donations for helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help. Donations are used to buy:
• Shelter kits with tents, tarps, water purification tables, and other basic necessities
• Emergency relief supplies
• Food
• Medical supplies
• Family tool kits, including shovels
• Telecommunications equipment

Recently, Jean-Louis took part in a series of campaigns for Haitian aid, such as singing in the "We Are The World" remake for Haiti in February 2010 that aired during the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

In 2008 and 2009, H.S.H. Prince Albert II de Monaco presented Julian Lennon with the BWA Environmental Preservation Award. Past Humanitarian Awards have gone to Flavio Briatore and Marley for their work in Jamaica and Kenya.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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