Every time he crosses the Claiborne Avenue bridge heading east across the New Orleans Industrial Canal, actor Brad Pitt gets a lump in his throat.
From that vantage point, he can look down on a section of the city’s Lower Ninth Ward that is ground zero for “Make It Right,” a home rebuilding initiative Pitt launched to help people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed 1,500 people and devastated the historic Southern city.
“Each time I come back to New Orleans and drive over that bridge, I get this swell of joy,” Pitt told Reuters, his eyes going watery. “It’s means a lot to me to watch that neighborhood take shape.”
Pitt and his movie star partner, Angelina Jolie, own a house in the city’s French Quarter, and they visit the city regularly with their six children.
The actor shares his feelings about the city and its recovery with a few thousand people on Saturday evening, as he and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, a New Orleans native, host the Make It Right Foundation’s biggest fundraiser at a New Orleans hotel.
Billed as “A Night to Make It Right,” the star-studded, sold-out gala is expected to draw 1,200 guests who paid between $1,000 and $2,500 to attend a dinner prepared by New Orleans celebrity chefs John Besh and Emeril Lagasse, and a concert featuring musical stars Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Seal and Dr. John.
Category: Make It Right
Brad Pitt’s ‘Make It Right’ Charity To Turn Vacant 103-Year-Old School Into Housing Complex
Since Hurricane Katrina, Brad Pitt’s charity has been focused on building sustainable homes in New Orleans. But, now the generous star is branching out to give some much-needed attention to his home state.
The Make It Right organization pledged $2.3 million to turn the closed-down 103-year-old Bancroft School in Kansas City, Mo., into a housing complex and community center. It’ll come complete with apartments, a gym and a healthcare center, Fox4KC.com reports.
“The good news today is that we are now going to make it right,” Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II told the news source.
Cleaver announced the building project Monday, which will cost $14 million. Its funding will be generated from federal tax credits, low income housing tax credits, and Pitt’s organization.
The work is part of Kansas City’s Green Impact Zone, which works to gather resources to make a major impact in communities, one big project at a time.
“This is just the start,” Cleaver told Fox4KC.com, “but it is a beautiful start.”
Although Pitt did not make it to the announcement of the project, he is expected to be there at its finish in the spring of 2013, Fox4KC.com reports.
eBay for Make It Right
Only hours left, watch the auctions and bid if you are able to. All profits go to Make It Right! Check the auctions!
eBay Celebrity and Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Host Gallery Exhibition
eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, is teaming up with Brad Pitt’s Make It Right to take charitable fundraising to a whole new level with a physical space and interactive bidding. Fans are invited to walk through a gallery featuring one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences and mementos to be auctioned off for charity on eBay Celebrity. Smartphones add a hands-on element to visually innovative displays, enabling attendees to participate in an interactive bidding process via dimensional QR codes by utilizing the eBay mobile app to bid in real time as well as track auction progress.
The elite exhibition brings celebrity charity auction items to life in New York’s famed Chelsea Market, with 100% of proceeds going to Make It Right, a non-profit foundation building sustainable, affordable homes in disadvantaged communities. Launched in November, eBay Celebrity is a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.
Read more. Very interesting I think.
