West Hollywood, April 15, 2014 – On Sunday, John Varvatos celebrated the 11th Annual Stuart House Benefit, presented by the Chrysler brand, at his Los Angeles boutique. Hosted by Amy Adams and Darren Le Gallo, the event raised closed $939,000 for Stuart House – the UCLA Rape Treatment Center’s internationally recognized model program serving sexually abused children. The fundraising continues until the close of the benefit’s online auction at charitybuzz.com/johnvarvatos on April 23rd.
Varvatos welcomed more than 1,500 guests to an afternoon of luxury shopping, live and silent auctions, great food and fun filled children’s activities in the Hasbro Studios kids’ tent. The event’s emcee, Bill Bellamy, hosted the live auction and introduced the special live performance by Willie Nelson & Sons. Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks of thenewno2 served as the event’s special guest DJs.
The eclectic ensemble of actors and musicians included Adrien Grenier, Bill Bellamy, Bob Morley, Cace Cobb, Chad Smith, Christopher Meloni, Courtney Love, Darren Kagasoff, Donald Faison, Eric McCormack, George Kotsiopoulos, Gillian Jacobs, Ian Bohen, James Van Der Beek, Jessica Simpson, Joe Mangianello, Jonathan Sadowksi, KaDee Strickland, Joyce Varvatos, Kat Graham, Keean Johnson, LL Cool J, Lawrence Zarian, Linda Ramone, Melina Kanakaredes, Michael Voltaggio, Morena Baccarin, Natalie Martinez, Rachel Zoe & Rodger Berman, Romany Malco, Thomas Dekker, Ty Pennington, Tyler Hoechlin and Vintage Trouble.
“It’s inspiring what they do at Stuart House. Everything is about making the child feel safe. To have John Varvatos come forth and bring attention to the abuse of children, especially because he’s a man, makes it extra special,” said Amy Adams.
To contribute to the cause beyond the LA-based event, the Stuart House Benefit is also supported via an online auction with Charitybuzz.com, which features all-access experiences like the chance to hang in the studio with Howard Stern, have lunch with director Judd Apatow, attend fashion week with Diane von Furstenberg, enjoy a shopping spree with John Varvatos and much more. For a full list of the More than 100 exclusive experiences up for auction, please visit charitybuzz.com/johnvarvatos.
“The prevalence of child sexual abuse is staggering. One out of four girls and one out of six boys in our country are sexually abused before they reach eighteen years of age. Many of these children are silenced by shame and fears about the consequences of disclosing their abuse. Today is about shining a light on this issue, supporting these children, and providing resources to give them the expert care they need to heal and recover from the trauma of sexual abuse. It is a way for all of us to express our commitment these children.” – Gail Abarbanel
Legendary, award-winning musician Willie Nelson performed a live concert with his sons, Lukas and Micah, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chad Smith. The set featured all his classic songs including: “Whiskey River,” “Still Moving,” “Crazy,” “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” “On the Road Again,” and “Georgia.” After the performance Willie Nelson commented, “Stuart House does a great job of bringing attention to a worthy cause. We wish them all the success in the world!”
John Varvatos is proud to have these iconic artists perform on this exceptional day, on behalf of Stuart House. “Just when you think it couldn’t get any bigger and better, this year we topped it all with Amy Adams, Darren De Gallo and Willie Nelson and his sons. The massive turnout and contributions from many generous supporters have made this the best Stuart House yet,” says John Varvatos.
“The Chrysler brand’s continued support of the annual Stuart House event plays a significant role in our ongoing partnership with John Varvatos,” said Al Gardner, President & CEO of the Chrysler Brand. “We are committed to do everything we can to help raise the funds needed to aid and bring awareness to this incredibly important organization.”
Please help us raise additional funds for Stuart House by sharing this message on your social media channels today: Join @JohnVarvatos and #StuartHouse give hope and healing to sexually abused children.
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Photos: Getty Images
