So I’m taking a break from info on make-up application to bring you up to date. First off I was a co-chair of a fabulous event-the V-Day Atlanta Benefit Concert for Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, Feb. 9. As many of you know, V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery. Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances written by Eve Ensler of The Vagina Monologues, A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, and screenings of V-Day’s documentary Until The Violence Stops, to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. In 2009, over 4200 V-Day benefit events took place produced by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls. Let me tell you, Eve is just amazing. I had the honor of doing her make-up for the Atlanta V-Day event & she looked beautiful. What a joy to be in the presence of such a FORCE for change in the world. I also was able to participate in the private dinner at the Paul Chelko Gallery in the Old Fourth Ward.
The Paul Chelko Foundation has been a huge supporter of Project Authentic Beauty as well as Eve & V-Day’s mission. The Chelko Foundation was officially established in 2005 after the death of Paul Chelko’s wife, Debbie. Her untimely passing was the result of a terrible fight with breast cancer. Paul watched his wife die a “terrible and ugly death” which he believed, “no woman should have to go through.” Paul said “There are dogs that get better treatment (humane deaths) than Debbie got.” He had a vision for a world where woman are free and do not have to suffer. Paul set out to make a difference for women all over the world through empowerment. The Chelko Foundation obtained its not-for-profit 501(c)3 status in 2007. Thus, The Chelko Foundation was born into reality and no longer just a dream for Paul. Make sure to check out the Paul Chelko Gallery at Studioplex-next to Serpas where Paul’s work is being exhibited until the end of the month….. But back to V-Day; Eve read both of her monologues to a packed house at The Warren. We raised over $17,000 for the women of the Congo!!!!
Eve also started up V-Girls, a corresponding targeted pilot program engaging young women in our “empowerment philanthropy” model, igniting their activism and giving them a voice through the information in Eve’s new book-I Am an Emotional Creature. It chronicles the stories inspired by girls around the globe. Girls today often find themselves in a struggle between remaining strong and true to themselves and conforming to society’s expectations in an attempt to please. I Am an Emotional Creature is a celebration of the authentic voice inside every girl and an inspiring call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be. I got the book for Quinn & she literally read it in less than 12 hours & has already started sharing it with her friends at school. They also started a V-Girls group. Eve performed a monologue from the book for us and brought the house down!!! Be sure to get a copy for yourself and turn on as many girls as you can!!!
Another amazing event Authentic Beauty is involved in is Bert’s Big Adventure. Started by Q-100’s Bert Weiss and his wife Stacey, Bert’s Big Adventure is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a spectacular five day journey to Walt Disney World for children with a chronic and/or terminal illness and their families. This trip and the year round programs that follow each adventure allow participants to: establish lasting friendships with others facing similar challenges, experience events and venues that otherwise could not be afforded & enjoy the gift of intimate family time together where the focus turns from living with an illness to making magical moments. We do all the make-up on the mothers right before the send-off. It is such an amazing time for these kids & their families. This year the send-off is this Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Sheraton Gateway near the airport. I am so excited to be part of this amazing event that helps change the lives of so many people in the Atlanta area.
Lastly, I can’t wait for the Enlightenment Luncheon on Wednesday, February 24 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis downtown. This luncheon is the second in a series of presentations on children’s health issues & how chemicals affect our children. Dr. Phil Landrigan, MD will speak on this topic. Dr. Landrigan, M.D., M.Sc., the Ethel Wise Professor and Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Emory, is a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and internationally recognized leader in public health and preventive medicine. He has been a member of the faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine since 1985 and Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine since 1990. Dr. Landrigan is also the Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center. Dr. Landrigan is known for his many decades of work in protecting children against environmental threats to health, most notably lead and pesticides. His pioneering research on lead toxicity at low levels persuaded the US government to mandate removal of lead from gasoline and paint, actions that have produced a 90% decline in incidence of childhood lead poisoning over the past 25 years. Dr. Landrigan has been a leader in developing the National Children’s Study, the largest study of children’s health and he environment ever launched in the United States. He has been centrally involved in the medical and epidemiologic studies that followed the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He has consulted extensively to the World Health Organization. Laura Seydel, an Authentic Beauty client and good friend of mine is one of the hosts of this event and I am chairing a table…so if you want to sit with me I have 3 or 4 seats left! I think it is incredibly important to bring these issues to everyone’s attention because they are overlooked so often. The next luncheon will be on Tuesday, April 27. Purchase tickets here & can’t wait to see you! Next week I’ll be back on the basics of make-up application. Stop by the studio & say hello!
