STARS COME OUT FOR WE ARE FAMILY FETE

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We Are Family Gala Embraced Global
Partners Of All Ages
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Nile Rodgers With Kate Pierson And Jackson Browne

Bobby Funaro With Chef Joe DiMaggio And Guest

Donna D’Cruz

Mo Rocca

Nile Rogers With Rosie Perez And Nancy Hunt

Joanna Bennett

Rosie Perez And We Are Family Foundation President Nancy Hunt

Piano Prodigy Ethan Borthnick With Steven Van Zandt

John Shea

Steven Van Zandt With Kate Pierson

The Legend Sir Ivan Wilzig

Celebrity Hairstylist Angelo David

Jackson Browne, Nile Rodgers with CHIC and Steven Van Zandt took the stage for show-stopping performances at this year’s 8th Annual Celebration Gala for We Are Family Foundation, delighting such guests as iconic photog Bruce Weber, B52s’ Kate Pierson, actor John Shea, U.S. Senator Mark Warner and evening hosts Rosie Perez and Mo Rocca. DJ Donna D’Cruz kicked off the festivities, providing music for the cocktail reception; later, an exciting live auction brought bidders to their feet with such items as a private one-on-one with Jackson Browne and a custom handmade “Jackson Browne” Gibson Acoustic Guitar, Seduction of Spirit Six-Day Deepak Chopra Experience, a Rock ‘n Roll Winter Weekend with Kate Pierson of the B52s, a collaborative portrait with celebrated fashion photographer Bruce Weber and Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band-Signed Gibson Les Paul 1958 Jr. and Tickets to the 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards. After receiving the evening’s Humanitarian Award, Jackson Browne joined Nile Rodgers and Steven Van Zandt on stage, performing a selection of fan-favorites, including “Running on Empty” and “Somebody’s Baby,” which brought guests to their feet. Afterwards, Nile Rodgers and CHIC took over, performing such iconic tunes as “Le Freak,” “Good Times” and “I’m Coming Out” before the honorees, Foundation team and guests took the stage together to close the evening with a show-stopping rendition of “We Are Family.”

Photos By: James Edstrom

WE ARE FAMILY FOUNDATION'S ANNUAL GALA

Jackson Browne

We Are Family Foundation’s® (WAFF) Annual Celebration Gala promises to be particularly memorable this year. Fellow NYC philanthropists will join founder Nile Rodgers at the Hammerstein Ballroom, where he and his band CHIC will give a concert with American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, who is the recipient of the We Are Family Humanitarian Award this year. He is honored for his work as co-founder of Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE), Nukefree.org, and the Success Through the Arts Foundation, which provides education opportunities for students in South Los Angeles. The event will be hosted by the actress Rosie Perez and comic Mo Rocca, who are sure to keep the crowd entertained all evening.


This year’s recipients of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award are two men with an important story to tell. Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa, once leaders of opposing militias, are now leaders of the Inter-Faith Mediation Centre. The film, The Imam and the Pastor, illustrates how these two men, embroiled in the bloody religious conflict in northern Nigeria, miraculously transitioned from wanting to kill each other to becoming true friends. Pastor Wuye lost a hand in one battle, and Imam Ashafa lost his spiritual mentor and two very close cousins, but even these embittering events did not prevent their reconciliation. Today, not only do the two men work on the Muslim-Christian conflict in Nigeria, but they also helped resolve a violent ethnic clash in Kenya after the 2007 elections. Today, they continue their conflict resolution work in various African countries. Given their inspiring work in religious and ethnic conflict, they truly embody the spirit of the We Are Family Foundation®.


WAFF was inspired by the upsurge in civic pride and a spirit of unity that followed the tragedy of 9/11. Seeing a need for nation-wide healing, Nile decided to re-record his hit We Are Family with a diverse community of artists, actors, personalities, firefighters, policemen and everyday citizens affected by the tragedy. Spike Lee directed the music video, and the response was so positive that Nile knew he could not stop there.


His next move was to reach out to young people, creating a children’s video of the song with over a 100 favorite children's characters. The video was aired as a public service announcement on Disney, Nickelodeon and PBS. It wasn’t long until Nile took the next logical step to form WAFF. WAFF is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate the next generation about respect, understanding and cultural diversity, while striving to solve some of our biggest global problems at the same time.


Past honorees and performers at the annual gala have included the likes of Patti LaBelle, Sir Elton John, Desmond Tutu, Paul Simon and Dr. Maya Angelou. Money raised at this year’s gala will go toward funding WAFF’s unique programs such as Three-Dot Dash, a global initiative that supports teen leaders working on projects to promote peace by addressing basic human needs worldwide.


If you are interested in learning more about the We Are Family Foundation® or the upcoming Gala, visit their website at www.wearfamilyfoundation.com.

Photo By: Sara De Boer/Retna