Update on MFBB Charity Concert

[OldTimer]

Will also benefit Haiti quake victims.

http://www.theacorn.com/news/2010-01...omeless_k.html

Pre-Grammy party in Hollywood to benefit homeless kids, earthquake victims

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

A Westlake Village woman is planning a star-studded Grammy kickoff party at the House of Blues in Hollywood on Jan. 28 to benefit homeless children in the United States and earthquake victims in Haiti.

Asal Masomi, founder of We.The.Children—a business that partners with local charities, especially those which help children—had originally planned to use funds generated from the party for other charities, but the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti raised a bigger need.

“The goal is to sell out the House of Blues, and the more we raise the more effective we will be as a community with helping homeless children find a way off the streets as well as helping . . . victims of the earthquake in Haiti,” Masomi said.

The party is already generating buzz in the entertainment industry, she said. Several celebrities will attend, including Scarlett Johansson, Marla Maples, Rick Cannon, LeAnn Rimes and Sean Patrick Thomas.

The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band is scheduled to appear and will play songs from the new release “Blue Again,” which has been nominated for a Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy.

The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band is co-managed by another Westlake resident, Jonathan Todd of Sabre Entertainment.

An invitation-only dinner with Mick Fleetwood will be followed by the band’s show, which is open to the public.

“After the dinner all the celebrities will be coming to the music hall for the show,” Masomi said. “So the general public and the Hollywood music community will be joining together to celebrate this great night.”

Before the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band takes the stage, finalists of a We.The.Children songwriting competition will perform. Cash prizes, songwriting software and other awards will also be presented, Masomi said.

Masomi likes pairing the entertainment industry with local or, in this case, worldwide charities like Doctors Without Borders, who are helping people who were injured in the Haitian earthquake.

“I believe that the entertainment community is one of the most philanthropic communities in our country,” Masomi said. “We thought since (many) entertainers will be in town during the whole week of the Grammys we could bring them together to celebrate the art of music as well as giving back to the community.”

The title of the project, We.The.Children, refers to the dedication of the group to “all children of our nation, all of those individuals living in the United States, including Our Nation’s Children, the service men and women of the United States of America,” Masomi said. “Attending a We.The.Children event is an act of giving back to your community and ultimately your country.”

General ticket prices for the Jan. 28 show are $40. For $65, partygoers will receive entry to the show and a copy of the Fleetwood band’s “Blue Again” DVD. VIP tickets cost $125 and include the DVD, backstage pass, access to the House of Blues celebrity lounge, VIP reception and gift bags.

Tickets can be purchased at www.wethechildren2010.com/ tickets.html.