Seth Maxwell, founder of the Thirst Project, addressing the crowd.
Approximately 3 years ago, my fellow Kodak Theatre co-worker, Seth Maxwell talked about a charity he wanted to start to create solutions for the world water crisis. I kept thinking back to that moment in our break room and just nodding my head. The plans sounded grand and ambitious. Now, fast forward to June 28, 2011 as I sit in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton. The charity has raised over a million dollars and has created a clean water solution for over 50,000 people. It makes me so proud to call Seth a friend.
My incredible red carpet producer, Leilani Gushiken
He inspired me to donate money to help build a well in Niger where children regularly drink dirty and contaminated water by their school. It's hard to imagine, especially since I have a cat who drinks filtered water. Does that seem fair? Clean water is a right and if you are moved to donate, feel free to visit the Thirst Project page.
You will find the footage from the red carpet below. It truly was an honor to host the live stream of the red carpet.
The Pioneering Spirit honoree, Michael Welch from the Twilight Saga. He gave an incredibly moving speech.
A few of my Glee pals presenting an award. Josh Sussman is my favorite. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.
My hot date, Byron Bryson. Okay, we both came alone, but he kindly agreed to be my date after we were seated next to each other. Isn't he cute?
Tonight, I am honored to be hosting the red carpet portion of the live stream for the 2nd Annual Thirst Project Gala. I hope you all have an opportunity to join me and the incredible celebrity hosts of the evening, Chyler Leigh of Grey's Anatomy and JR Bourne of Teen Wolf as The Thirst Project brings awareness to the plight of close to 1 billion people not having access to clean, safe drinking water. Here are some of the stats:
1 in 8: The number of people who do not have access to clean drinking water
4500: The number of children who die every day from diseases caused by contaminated water. (Approximately 1 child every 15 seconds.)
3.75 Miles: The average distance a woman walks to collect water. This task often falls upon young girls leaving them no time or energy for an education.
So, join me on this important evening as we honor Michael Welch from The Twilight Saga for his time, energy, and dedication to such a wonderful cause.
You are welcome to tweet me questions for any of the celebs expected to attend (lots of Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Teen Wolf, and American Idol peeps are on the list.) on Twitter or leave a question in the comments below.
