Christmas season is just around the corner and people from all around the world are now busy preparing gifts for their loved ones. Some are busy helping charities that will help thousands of families. Famous celebrities like Lauren Bush, Bryant Gumbel and Pamela Fiori gave their precious time to attend the annual UNICEF snowflake ceremony last Thursday held at the Louis Vuitton in New York. This occasion is one of the most awaited part of many because it’s the start of the gift giving season.
Below is the press release of the event:
New York, NY (November 11, 2009) –The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today that UNICEF Ambassador and actress Lucy Liu will light the UNICEF Snowflake at a special ceremony taking place on Thursday, November 19 in front of the Louis Vuitton Maison Fifth Avenue on 57th Street in New York City.
“We are honored to have Lucy light the UNICEF Snowflake and kick off the giving season in New York City,” said Caryl Stern, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “She is a great friend to UNICEF and a dedicated supporter of our mission to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes.”
The evening’s celebration, which will be telecast live to the Spectacolor CNN billboard in Times Square, will begin at 6:30 PM with a festive recital by Broadway Kids Care, a group of children from current and past Broadway shows who come together to participate in a variety of charitable works. Following their performance, Lucy Liu, Caryl Stern and Daniel Lalonde, President and CEO of Louis Vuitton North America, will take the stage and flip the switch to illuminate the UNICEF Snowflake. Immediately following the ceremony Louis Vuitton, proud sponsor of the UNICEF Snowflake lighting this year, will host a reception to celebrate the lighting in their flagship store on 5th Avenue.
“As a native New Yorker I always look forward to seeing the UNICEF Snowflake light up Fifth Avenue,” said actress and UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu. “It reminds me that every day, there are 24,000 children worldwide dying from preventable causes. I am especially proud to support UNICEF and their commitment to change that number to zero.”
Appointed a UNICEF Ambassador in 2004, Liu has used her influence as a force for the survival, protection and development of children worldwide. She has traveled to Lesotho, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Peru to witness UNICEF’s life saving work UNICEF and to advocate on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable children.
“Louis Vuitton is honored to partner with such an influential global organization as UNICEF,” said Daniel Lalonde, President & CEO of Louis Vuitton North America. “With our flagship store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th street we are proud to be a partner in this important New York City holiday tradition.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Snowflake. Donated by the Stonbely Family Foundation in 2002, the UNICEF Snowflake has become an iconic fixture in New York City during the holiday season, hanging high above the intersection of 5th Avenue and 57th Street. It was handcrafted by German lighting designer Ingo Maurer and is adorned with 16,000 Baccarat crystal prisms. At 23 feet in diameter, over 28 feet in height and weighing 3,300 pounds, the UNICEF Snowflake is the largest outdoor chandelier of its kind. The UNICEF Snowflake ceremony is open to the public and will be illuminated for the entire holiday season.
Beverly Hills, CA (November 11, 2009) –The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced that actress and UNICEF supporter Rebecca Mader will light the UNICEF Snowflake on Saturday, November 21 at the 2009 Beverly Hills UNICEF Snowflake lighting ceremony. The UNICEF Snowflake will grace the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard during the holiday season. The ceremony highlights the City of Beverly Hills’ annual holiday event and the season of giving.
“The UNICEF Snowflake is a special symbol for the world’s most vulnerable children,” said Caryl Stern, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “Every day 24,000 children die of preventable causes. These iconic snowflakes—at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York and on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills—hang as a reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes.”
Festivities will begin at 3:00pm with the official lighting at 7:00 PM. Visitors to this famed dream drive will enjoy free entertainment – from balloon artists to jugglers, caricature artists to musicians. The streets are ripe with photo opportunities as well, with striking new holiday décor, lights and banners throughout the Golden Triangle and complimentary pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“Beverly Hills is proud to once again host this spectacular holiday kick-off, launching a season of fun for the whole family” said Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne. “It is also our privilege, through our partnership with UNICEF, to help highlight all the outstanding work they do to relieve the poverty and suffering of children around the world.”
Mader will flip the switch to illuminate the brilliant UNICEF Snowflake on Rodeo Drive that will soar over the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. The Beverly Hills Snowflake contains 12,000 crystals, is 17 feet wide and over 14 feet tall, weighs 1,600 pounds and is illuminated by 125 steady-burning and 300 high-powered flashing LED lights. The evening will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display across the sky above the hotel, which is home to the west coast UNICEF Snowflake.
“The UNICEF Snowflake is the centerpiece of an ambitious program to raise funds for UNICEF’s programs providing immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation for children in need,” said actress and UNICEF supporter Rebecca Mader. “I am honored to participate in the Beverly Hills lighting ceremony by illuminating the UNICEF Snowflake and helping spread its message of hope, peace and compassion for children worldwide.”
Mader will reprise her role as Charlotte Lewis in the upcoming season of the Emmy Award nominated show “Lost” and has held roles in numerous box office hits including “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Hitch.” Audiences will also see her in several exciting upcoming films including “Men Who Stare at Goats” with George Clooney and Ewan McGregor, opening in November, as well as “The Big Bang” with Antonio Banderas and “Ceremony” with Uma Thurman.
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