On Monday, iStar Financial held its third annual charity shootout at Madison Square Garden, benefitting the Robin Hood Foundation and Human Rights First. Kids kicked off the evening in the pee-wee and junior shootouts, before celebrities like The Real World’s Eric Nies and Willie Hernandez took the court—coached by Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue model Anne V and former Knicks star John Starks—with every successful shot adding to the night’s grand total of $371,000 in donations. The event raised $120,000 over the previous year, thanks in part to a single $25,000 shot made by blindfolded, high-heeled WB 11 news anchor Emily Francis at a televised morning event before the shootout. “We started the buzz in the morning, and that definitely got a lot of media there,” said iStar corporate events manager Liz Sanzo. “We’re getting our top clients—Wall Street elite—involved in doing something in community. The first year, they were just invited, but now they’re asked to be sponsors when they come to the court. It’s definitely caught on as a cool, interactive concept.”
Posted 06.22.05
Posted 06.22.05
