Madonna, comedian Chris Rock and dozens of other celebrities raised $5.5 million at a star-studded benefit at the United Nations Wednesday night to help poor and sick children around the world.
The dinner and live auction, hosted by Rock, was an unusual blend of charity and commercial promotion for the UN and made some of its officials, including Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, uneasy.
Gucci, which paid the costs, pegged the event to today’s opening during New York’s Fashion Week of its Manhattan flagship store and put its logo and UNICEF’s behind the walkway where celebrities were photographed.
The UN had never before granted permission to a company to erect a 3,900-square-metre tent on the north lawn of the UN for such a commercial tie-in. Gucci gave paying guests its limited edition “Gucci Loves NY” handbag, with a big red heart, costing more than $600 each.
The red-carpet reception drew stars such as Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Brooke Shields, Salma Hayek, and UNICEF Ambassadors Tea Leoni and Lucy Liu, followed by a cocktail party with the likes of Donald Trump and media mogul Barry Diller.
Celebrities paid $2,500 to $10,000 each for their dinner, Madonna played videos of Malawi and introduced children from the country, and Rihanna, Timbaland and Alicia Keys all performed.
Ban left New York for Chicago hours before the event started, even though his appointment wasn’t until Thursday and his schedule for Wednesday night was open.
Alicia Barcena Ibarra, Ban’s undersecretary general for administration and management, said her office “should have investigated more fully” before it approved UNICEF’S request to hold the event, and she did not believe it was correct for Gucci to publicize the event in conjunction with the opening of a new store.
A 1996 UN rule says “outside entities, including non-governmental organizations, may not hold meetings or events on United Nations premises to conduct their own organizational business or to advance their own purposes or aims.”
Tom Cruise bid $100,000 for a sports package that included the privilege of hanging out at Yankee Stadium with baseball star Alex Rodriguez and a private hour playing soccer with David Beckham, but lost out to a bidder who paid $350,000.
A trip to Paris with a tour of a vineyard and lunch with Francois-Henri Pinault and Hayek went for $120,000. The priciest auction item was a $600,000 winning bid to tour with Madonna and take a dance class with her and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Proceeds were split among Raising Malawi, an advocacy group that operates under The Kabbalah Centre International, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, which supports the United Nations Children’s Fund.
