WGC names 'Leaves of Change' celebrity partners

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WGC names 'Leaves of Change' celebrity partners

March 02, 2009

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New York--The World Gold Council's (WGC) "Leaves of Change" initiative is now in full swing, with a number of celebrities and jewelry designers set to auction off their collaboratively designed gold jewelry for charity at a spring gala event.

Earlier this year, the WGC announced Debra Messing as the initiative's first celebrity participant. Additional participants now include actresses Christina Applegate, Marcia Gay Harden, Lena Olin, Susan Sarandon and Brooke Shields, TV hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Samantha Harris and Rachael Ray, and actors Chris Noth and Denzel Washington, with wife Pauletta Washington.

To kick off the initiative, the WGC asked each celebrity to sketch a leaf-motif necklace, and then the WGC paired each star with a gold jewelry designer who would bring that sketch to life, producing it in yellow gold.

A charitable gala benefit will take place in New York on May 7, and proceeds from both an online and live auction facilitated by Sotheby's will benefit a bevy of causes, as each celebrity has chosen to donate proceeds from the sale of his or her necklace to a favorite charity.

The WGC says the program is intended to enable celebrities to inspire the generosity of others and to embrace their social responsibility to make the world a better place.

The celebrity/designer participants and their respective charities include: Christina Applegate with Alex Woo for Right Action for Women; Whoopi Goldberg with Annie Fensterstock for Ronald McDonald House; Marcia Gay Harden with Ariane Zurcher for Waterkeeper Alliance; Samantha Harris with Erica Molinari for Jewelers for Children; Debra Messing with Robert Lee Morris for Youth AIDS; Chris Noth with Robin Rotenier for Rainforest Action Network; Lena Olin with Mauri Pioppo for Hope for Henry; Rachael Ray with K. Brunini Jewels for Yum-o!; Susan Sarandon with Mattioli for Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen; Brooke Shields with Tre Spighe for Gold Expressions for Jewelers for Children; and Pauletta and Denzel Washington with Leslie Greene for Jewelers for Children.

Each of the jewelry designers will create a total of three pieces from their celebrity's sketch. One piece will be gifted to the celebrity, the second will be auctioned off in May, and the third will travel on tour from July to December 2009. The touring designs will visit approximately 16 U.S. cities outside of New York to further raise awareness for the multiple charities.

"Bringing together highly talented celebrities with renowned jewelry designers will create exciting and innovative gold designs," U.S. Managing Director for the WGC John Calnon said in a media release. "The simultaneous benefit to multiple charities, especially in such difficult economic times, makes for a meaningful and lasting impact."

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