LA Reid at the 2009 UNICEF Snowflake Ball last night. Cipriani 42nd Street in NY
The UNICEF Snowflake Ball will take place on December 2 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The special evening is an annual black-tie fundraising gala celebrating the lighting of the UNICEF Snowflake and honoring those individuals who have made key contributions to UNICEF’s mission to save and improve children’s lives worldwide. During the evening, UNICEF will present the Spirit of Compassion Award to the Chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, Antonio ‘LA’ Reid and the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award to Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Representative.
“We are proud to acknowledge the passionate commitment of LA Reid and Ted Chaiban to child survival and UNICEF’s mission to do whatever it takes to save a child,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “Both individuals have demonstrated their philanthropic commitment to UNICEF’s mission to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes.”
The lighting of the UNICEF Snowflake – which is suspended at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City – marks the beginning of the holiday giving season and hangs as a reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes. The New York UNICEF Snowflake, donated by the Stonbely Family Foundation, was engineered and entirely handcrafted by designer Ingo Maurer and his team in Germany and is 23 feet in diameter, over 28 feet in height, weighs more than 3,300 pounds and uses 16,000 Baccarat crystal prisms.
The UNICEF Snowflake Ball, hosted by Al Roker, will be chaired by Claudia Lebenthal and Christine Stonbely with Barbara Bush and Maggie Betts serving as Gala Junior Chairs. Town & Country Editor-in-Chief Pamela Fiori and internationally recognized interior designer Charlotte Moss will serve as UNICEF Snowflake Project Chairs.
The evening will include a live auction hosted by Hugh Hildesley from Sotheby’s as well as a special dinner designed by UNICEF Ambassador Marcus Samuelsson, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Aquavit, Alfred Portale, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Gotham Bar & Grill, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, prolific owner of Jean-Georges, Perry Street, Spice Market, and a number of renowned restaurants worldwide. HGTV’s Vern Yip will design the decor for the evening.
Following the UNICEF Snowflake Ball, The After ‘Flake committee, led by Barbara Bush and Maggie Betts, will host an after-party at Juliet Supperclub.
