Lured by Entourage’s Adrian Grenier and model Jessica Stam, more than a thousand guests came out for a benefit called Charity: Ball on Monday night at Metropolitan Pavilion. Looking to bring water to impoverished communities in Africa, Scott Harrison, founder of an organization that goes by the (oddly punctuated) name Charity: Water, managed to host an overhead-free fete that raised more than $400,000 for the cause.
The venue began working with the organization before it even took shape, partnering with Harrison when he was raising money for the medical aid group Mercy Ships in 2005. The venue donated its south pavilion last year for Charity: Water’s first party, for 800 people, with little over a month’s notice. Now that the organization has picked up steam (meaning: celebrity-generated buzz), the venue opted to donate the entire ground floor for this year’s 1,200 guests and also produced the event, entirely with vendor donations.“We started much earlier this year,” said Metropolitan Pavilion director of sales and creative services Shelly Taggar. “We picked the date in May and [started] planning in June. We do a lot of charity events, but most of them are seated. What we did with Charity: Ball was a party with an art show, an auction, and a performance. [Harrison] likes to make the party interactive.”
Upon entering, guests were led past large photography and video exhibitions that detailed the trials of finding clean water and showed how the organization has been able to help. Tripp/Mixx Productions designed a large statistic-laden runway that stood in the middle of the hall, and a dozen companies sponsored catwalkers—planners encouraged all guests to strut their stuff—at $10 a pop to traverse the runway carrying two 40-pound jerry cans filled with water. Brands such as Nautica and Elle participated, each making a $5,000 commitment (the cost to build one well in Africa). Celebrity guests Grenier, Stam, Isaac Mizrahi, Jennifer Missoni, and Damien Fahey walked the walk.
“When you give to charity, most of the time only a third actually gets work done,” Taggar says. “With Scott, you give him a dollar, and he sends you an image of exactly what he did with that dollar. That's why people react to it the way they do. He talked to probably 80 percent of the people at the party.”
The night concluded with a set by musical guests Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues, which was briefly interrupted by a surprise Chaka Khan performance. Khan had been onstage earlier in the night to auction off one of her kisses—they are apparently running about $500 these days.
The venue began working with the organization before it even took shape, partnering with Harrison when he was raising money for the medical aid group Mercy Ships in 2005. The venue donated its south pavilion last year for Charity: Water’s first party, for 800 people, with little over a month’s notice. Now that the organization has picked up steam (meaning: celebrity-generated buzz), the venue opted to donate the entire ground floor for this year’s 1,200 guests and also produced the event, entirely with vendor donations.“We started much earlier this year,” said Metropolitan Pavilion director of sales and creative services Shelly Taggar. “We picked the date in May and [started] planning in June. We do a lot of charity events, but most of them are seated. What we did with Charity: Ball was a party with an art show, an auction, and a performance. [Harrison] likes to make the party interactive.”
Upon entering, guests were led past large photography and video exhibitions that detailed the trials of finding clean water and showed how the organization has been able to help. Tripp/Mixx Productions designed a large statistic-laden runway that stood in the middle of the hall, and a dozen companies sponsored catwalkers—planners encouraged all guests to strut their stuff—at $10 a pop to traverse the runway carrying two 40-pound jerry cans filled with water. Brands such as Nautica and Elle participated, each making a $5,000 commitment (the cost to build one well in Africa). Celebrity guests Grenier, Stam, Isaac Mizrahi, Jennifer Missoni, and Damien Fahey walked the walk.
“When you give to charity, most of the time only a third actually gets work done,” Taggar says. “With Scott, you give him a dollar, and he sends you an image of exactly what he did with that dollar. That's why people react to it the way they do. He talked to probably 80 percent of the people at the party.”
The night concluded with a set by musical guests Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues, which was briefly interrupted by a surprise Chaka Khan performance. Khan had been onstage earlier in the night to auction off one of her kisses—they are apparently running about $500 these days.
The statistic-laden runway at the Charity: Ball.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Photos taken by Charity: Water founder Scott Harrison during his travels through Africa appeared throughout the event space.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Statistics about the African water crisis lined the 58-foot runway, and catwalkers carried two 40-pound jugs.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Photos and statistics about water-related issues in countries Harrison has visited, including Kenya, Liberia, and Ethiopia, lined one wall.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Black-and-white images of workers who built wells with funds raised by Charity: Water donations appeared throughout the space.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Staffers sported black T-shirts that said "charity:" and "water."
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
Cocktail waitresses passed "Mud Water" and "Clean Water" cocktails, courtesy of mixologist Alex Ott.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
The evening featured a silent auction.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
In addition to being passed, hors d'oeuvres were placed on highboys draped in black linens.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity: Water
