Ireland shows her appreciation with donations to nonprofits
February 2, 2008 - 10:00 pm
Kathy Ireland invited a few friends -- some famous and some not so famous -- to help her celebrate her accomplishments in the home-furnishings industry and share some of her good fortune with the less fortunate.
During Tuesday evening's appreciation celebration at the World View restaurant on the 16th floor of Building B at the World Market Center, Ireland, through Kathy Ireland Worldwide, donated $100,000 to four charitable organizations. Thanks to an additional matching donation from World Market Center, The Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Safe Surfin' USA Foundation, Help1Up and Alliance for Christian Education will each receive $50,000.
"This is just unbelievable," Ireland said of the surprise gift.
"I want to thank all of my brand partners and retailers for making this dream come true. I have a deep appreciation for each of you," she said.
Ireland added that the partners' and retailers' belief in her mission of finding solutions for families, especially busy moms, has changed thousands of lives.
Kathy Ireland Worldwide products -- which includes everything from socks, her first brand partner, to decorative fountains, one of her newest partners -- are sold in more than 25 countries. Among her partners showing products during the winter market at the home-furnishings trade show were manufacturers of case goods, leather upholstery, mattresses, bedding, carpeting and lighting.
Joining Ireland as host for the evening and accepting the donation for Safe Surfin' was actor Erik Estrada.
"For me, it is a tremendous honor to host this evening for my long-time friend Kathy Ireland. She makes you smile," he said.
Estrada, who is an officer of Safe Surfin' Foundation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force as well as a reserve police officer in Bedford County, Va., is fervently working toward becoming a task force member for the U.S. Department of Justice so he can help investigate and prosecute Internet predators.
"I want to catch these guys, get them off the streets and put them in cages where they belong. When a child loses his innocence, he never gets it back."
Because Safe Surfin' is a nonprofit organization, it relies on donations to help support its efforts to teach children, parents and teachers how to use the Internet safely, Estrada said. He hopes they can put programs in schools nationwide as a regular part of the curriculum.
"I hope God gives me the strength to stay alive so I can see this in all schools," said the father of three children.
Anita Pointer, of the Pointer Sisters, attended on behalf of Dame Elizabeth Taylor and thanked her friend for the donation.
Pointer was equally passionate about her work with The Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation.
"This means the world to me," she said. "Liz is one of the pioneers when AIDS was not popular; she was in there fighting for the people. I'm so glad to be a part of that fight."
Pointer also had the crowd of several hundred on their feet as she performed her Grammy Award-winning songs.
Don Lawrence, executive director of the National Furniture Bank Association, accepted the donation for Help1Up telling those assembled that each night 200,000 children go to sleep without a bed to sleep in. He said the donation will help the organization assist 125,000 families this year.