Celebrities Give Big at Sean Penn's Haiti Fundraiser

Sean Penn and friends raise $6 million (USD) for annual Help Haiti Home Gala. Joel Flynn reports.

Published

about 1 month ago

Categories

World, Entertainment

Topics

Caribbean, Celebrity

People

Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Martin, Emma Thompson

Places

Haiti

Transcript

Four years on from the devastating Haiti earthquake, celebrities joined Sean Penn for his third annual Help Haiti Home Gala, helping to raise around $6 million USD. SOUNDBITE: Actor, Sean Penn, saying (English): "We got 150,000 people that still live under tents, out of 1.8 million originally. We can get those people, when I say we I'm talking about the cumulative 'we' can get those people in homes, and with livelihood support programs, et cetera, et cetera, by next year. And then we could be talking about something other than an earthquake." Donations went to the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which Penn founded, to help those affected survive and thrive. His fellow actors and friends said his efforts were inspiring. SOUNDBITE: Actor, Michael Douglas, saying (English): "I admire Sean and something I wanted to help. It's a country that hasn't caught a break in a really long time. And I've been impressed with the organization of the group." SOUNDBITE: Actress, Emma Thompson, saying (English): "Sean's outfit is the real thing. And so I'm very proud to come and support it. Hopefully financially as well. I'll see, there may people who are much richer than me in the room." SOUNDBITE: Actor, Chris Hemsworth, saying (English): "You know I think that kind of attitude that he has is infectious, especially when it's done with such intelligence. He absolutely knows the subject and the issue. He's not just thrown his face to it. And I think for any of us that's inspiring." A-listers went head-to-head to bid on auction items that included Banksy's "Balloon for Haiti" which went to Coldplay's Chris Martin for $1.4 million. The night ended with rock band U2 performing on stage for the first time in four years.