Party for a Cause: 6th Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

On October 15th, the 6th Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball took place in New York City; the event raises proceeds to benefit children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. This year’s honorees were Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson and Youssou N’Dour. The night included entertaining performances and surprise duets by musicians in the audience. Every year, celebrities come out to support this worthy cause; this year’s guests included Christ Martin of Coldplay, Usher, John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, Spike Lee, Robin Thicke and many more.

Halle Berry, well known for performances in X-Men, Catwoman, and Die Another Day, (to name a few) donated $40,000 at the event. Berry was the winning bidder on a necklace from Alicia Key’s collection. In total, the event raised over $2.5 million.

Keep A Child Alive (KCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing treatment, care, and support services to children and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. KCA started in Keyna in 2002 when a mother walked into a clinic in Mombassa asking for anti-retroviral drugs, that she could not afford, for her three-year old son. The clinic was built from funds raised by Leigh Blakes’ event Red Hot & Blue; Blake was so moved by the mother’s action that she decided to pay for the drugs. News of the desperate need for treatment and care for families quickly spread, and Peter Edge, the founder of Keep A Child Alive, became the first donor, and soon after, Alicia Keys became KCA’s first Global Ambassador.

Today, Keep A Child Alive Foundation has over 45,000 people under their care, giving money to three orphanages, and expanding major clinics in impoverished areas. You can follow the lead of Halle Berry and other celebrities and donate to KCA through their donation page, and for other opportunities to shop for a cause visit Uptown Liz.