On Sunday, August 24 in Malibu, local residents and celebrities including Emmy winner Jeremy Piven, and world-renowned guitarists Fred Tackett and Paul Barrere, came together to raise money to help local orphans and homeless children. Presented by Malibu non-profit, Safety Harbor Kids, and co-sponsored by the Malibu City Council, this special event included music, art, creative dramatics, field games, circus performers, aerial acrobats, a talent contest and a pie-eating contest to benefit music and arts programs for disadvantaged youth.
The day began with happiness counseling and assertiveness coaching for the 110 local orphans and homeless children from shelters and group homes around Los Angeles. “We take them out of their drab environment and show them a place of beauty. Then we teach them that they can do anything; then we help them do it,†explains Safety Harbor Kids president and director, Petrie Alexandra Williams, “and it is really working.â€
After their welcome, the children were treated to musical and dance performances by child prodigies, Zachary Mathe and Hannah Schneider and a motivation talk by local speaker Art Mortell. Then, it was food, fun and games including acrylic painting, sports and music by the Safety Harbor Kids Travellin’ Band featuring blues diva, Deb Ryder. Actor Jeremy Piven (who donated a “meet and greet†for the auction) joined a list of celebrity supporters, including Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Petty and Carlos Santana. All donated items for www.AuctionWire.com.
Performances by Inara George and Andy Vargas helped raise money to provide hope and education to the 900 children that Safety Harbor Kids currently supports. Safety Harbor’s unique approach offers community members a way to help children by volunteering, writing a check or mentoring a child who has no family or financial or social support system to help them break the cycle of homelessness, poverty, then prison.
Safety Harbor’s next event is the Spirit of Goodwill Holiday Party supporting their college scholarship fund. For more information, call (310) 455-0354 or visit www.SafetyHarborKids.org
