This summer marks the 15th Annual Art For Life benefit, the primary fundraiser for the Simmons’s brothers Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The benefit will take place Saturday, July 26th, and will be emceed by Soledad O’Brien. Star Jones will serve as the event’s honorary chair.
Moreover, running July 17th-August 7th, the Art For Life online auction will include a dinner date with Miss Universe, being a Roadie for a day for John Legend, and even meet and greets with celebrities such as Heidi Klum and Michael Strahan. Proceeds will go towards the Foundation’s signature arts education and gallery programs.
Founded by Russell, Danny, and Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons in 1995, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation seeks to provide NY inner-city youth with access to the arts, priding itself on its mission of inspiring students, providing positive alternatives to high risk behaviors and supporting increased academic performance. The website explains:
Rush feels that the process of making art is an invaluable tool and that art-making itself can be used as a vehicle to build bridges between communities. Rush offers a creative learning environment in which students can interact with artists, explore contemporary arts, and see the world through a variety of perspectives. Art provides a unique way for young people to learn, connect and communicate. While its primary emphasis is also on the arts, Rush Philanthropic is committed to the general wellbeing of young people by considering a wide range of concerns.
One of this year’s honorees will be do-gooder, Kimora Lee Simmons, ex-wife and mother of Russell Simmons two children. Creator of Baby Phat, she is also the establisher of the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund, which aims to grant college tuition to high school girls who are in financial need. She is also an active member of multiple youth advocacy organizations.
Photo:Roliingout Magazine
